Throughout yachting history, few superyachts have ever developed the international recognition from which the Maltese Falcon benefited ever since her delivery in 2006. Built for the late venture capitalist, Tom Perkins, the 88-meter yacht was until recently a contender for the title of largest sailing yacht in the world.
Even though her claim to the crown was recently overtaken by the 106-meter Black Pearl, the Maltese Falcon remains to many one of the most iconic yachts ever built. Sold to Elena Ambrosiadou at an asking price of €70 million in 2009, the 88-meter is also one of the largest yachts available for charter with a rate starting at $400,000 per week.
Commissioned in 2000 by Tom Perkins, the Maltese Falcon took nearly six years to complete and was eventually launched in 2006. Built by Perini Navi, the Italian shipyard now famous for their sailing yachts, the 88 meter's most innovative attribute became her sails that could rotate based on the direction of the wind. This was a first for the yachting industry.
The project was initially based on an incomplete 88-meter hull that Perini Navi had at a facility in Turkey following a canceled order. Interestingly included as an owner supplied item in the building contract, the masts and sails' design initially originated from a fuelling crisis. "While looking into the possibilities I came across the Dynarig ?- a square-rig concept developed by the German government during a fuel crisis to reduce the fuel consumption of merchant ships." recalled Perkins in 2013 with BI.
"This rig inspired me and I looked into its possibilities with the naval architect Gerry Dykstra. I went to his studio and listened to his ideas for applying modern technology to the original primitive concept, using three unstayed carbon fiber masts, each fitted with elegantly curved, fixed yards that would allow the yacht to sail upwind. I was impressed with his ideas and said, ?'Fine, let?'s do it,'? and left.? After the meeting, Dykstra looked at his team in some alarm and said, '?My God, where do we go from here?"
This innovative system that allows the Maltese Falcon to even sail against the wind also gives her advanced cruising abilities. During her first sea trials, she achieved a cruising speed of 16 knots on. In a storm in the Gulf of Lion, France she achieved a top speed of 26 knots under sail alone, with the equivalent of 7,500hp generated through her Dynarig set up.
Three years into his ownership of the Maltese Falcon, Perkins, however, sold her to hedge fund manager, Elena Ambrosiadou at an asking price of €70 million, reportedly at least breaking even on the sale.
"The high point of my ownership was entering San Francisco harbour, when literally tens of thousands of well wishers turned out to see the Maltese Falcon sail beneath the Golden Gate." Perkins explained BI.? "But that was just about the furthest she ever got from Istanbul. ?She was in such demand as a charter yacht and commanded such high fees that I simply couldn't refuse. But this meant keeping her in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, and I soon got bored with that.? So, in 2009, after three years, this remarkable yacht was sold."
Designed by Ken Freivokh, the Maltese Falcon was extensively refurbished in 2015/2016 during a refit. One of the most active yachts on the charter market, she accommodates up to 12 guests.
The 88-meter yacht's main deck serves as communal space for the guests' entertainment. Aft of the deck is a large, outside dining room with a bar and cocktail space flowing into the Falcon's main salon.
Split with the outside world by a circular bar, that can be closed off in the middle for part of it to remain inside, which is particularly useful during long crossings, the formal main salon acts as a lounging space for guests.
Featuring three comfortable sofas and windows on either side of the yacht, the main salon leads directly onto the staircase that connects each one of the decks.
Forward of the main deck are two formal, separate lounges that can act as a private study, a space for business meetings or simply a nice spot to play cards. These two areas open up to a formal dining area located towards the bow of the yacht.
A more formal location, mainly used in times of bad weather, the dining room located forward of the main deck sits twelve, similarly to the outside dining table found aft of the main deck.
Forward of the dining room are two doors that allow guests to exit onto the deck.
Accommodating up to 12 guests, the 88-meter sailing yacht features four cabins on the lower deck with an additional, convertible one. Designed with clear wood and black & white panels, the reoccurring theme of the Falcon is found in a fashion or another in every room on the yacht.
Although the yacht's main VIP cabin is located aft of the lower deck, an additional VIP cabin can be created by combining two regular cabins forward of the deck through the use of a sliding wall. The forward cabin then transforms into a lounging space for its guests, further creating a his and hers bathroom layout thanks to the additional space.
Stretching across the full beam of the yacht, the original VIP cabin occupies more space than even the master's cabin on the upper deck. Featuring a large bathroom and a lounging space aft of the cabin, the VIP lies aft of the lower deck and is decorated with precious works of art, as are most of the rooms on the Maltese Falcon.
Even more impressively, the master cabin is located on its own deck, up on the upper deck. With a clear view opening from the stateroom's bed onto the Maltese Falcon's aft deck, the stateroom features a private, outdoor lounging area.
On this private deck, which also doubles as a sundeck are several lounging chairs located all around the space. In the middle of the deck is an outdoor, circular, casual dining table. A large, square Jacuzzi completes the sundeck's layout towards its aft.
Amongst the long list of the Maltese Falcon's impressive amenities is its ability to transform the lounging space located towards the bow of its sundeck into a cinema. Installing lounging chairs forward of the sundeck and projecting movies onto the bottom part of her forward sail transforms the Falcon into one of the most theatres on the water.
A popular charter yacht, the Maltese Falcon also boasts a long list of toys for its more dynamic guests. In addition to the two large tenders that it carries on her bow, the Falcon features an inflatable water slide, deployable from its sundeck.
"Irrespective of his amazing achievements before and after, Maltese Falcon remains Tom’s most defining moment." Ken Freivokh told BI in 2013. "He once confided that he would not go down in history for his corporate successes, such as having set up the most successful Venture Capital company ever, a firm that takes credit for the establishment of Los Angeles’ Silicon Valley and the technology that has poured from it, but for having built the Maltese Falcon."
Born in New York in 1932, Thomas Perkins passed away in June 2016 at the age of 84. Haing graduated from MIT and Harvard, Perkins' first key career move came as he helped develop Hewlett-Packard under Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard.
In 1973, Perkins founded Kleiner Perkins together with his former colleague, Eugene Kleiner, hence establishing one of the first venture capital firms on Sand Hill Road. His firm became one of the most succesful VC funds in history, leading investments into Compaq, Google, Amazon and Netscape. In 2014, Forbes estimated his net worth at $8 billion.
"Tom was a pioneer in the venture capital industry." commented Frank Caufield, a partner at Kleiner Perkins at the time of Perkins' death. "He defined what we know of today as entrepreneurial venture capital by going beyond just funding to helping entrepreneurs realize their visions with operating expertise. He was there at the start of the biotech industry and the computer revolution."
Perini Navi, the shipyard under whose brand the Maltese Falcon was built, had a long standing relationship with Perkins prior to starting on the construction of the 88m yacht.
After starting up with a series of small sailing boats, Perkins was introduced to Fabio Perini and ultimately commissioned the 43-meter Andromede la Dea from him. The sailing yacht was delivered in 1987 and became the second yacht ever built by the Italian shipyard. Now known as Paz, the sailing yacht was a turning point for the sector in general.
Three years into his ownership of the 43-meter, Perini brought the designs of a larger scale project to Perkins, who decided it was time for an upgrade. The 47-meter Andromeda La Dea was delivered by the Italian shipyard in 1990. Onboard her, Perkins explored destinations such as Antartica and Alaska.
Shortly prior to his sale of the Maltese Falcon to Elena Ambrosiadou, Perkins decided to look into a new side of yachting and bought a personal submarine. The underwater Falcon could reach depths of up to 400 meters and basically fly underwater.
In order to have a suitable yacht for using the Falcon following his sale of the 88-meter sailing yacht, Perkins purchased a 37-meter Japanese training ship and had it converted at a shipyard in the Philippines. Amongst the adventures of the newly refitted Dr No was following whales in Tonga even underwater thanks to the Falcon.
The Maltese Falcon's new owner, Greek hedge fund manager, Elena Ambrosiadou first saw the sailing yacht near the Greek island of Delos. Together with her ex-husband, Ambrosiadou founded Ikos, their own fund, in 1990 with $600,000 in assets under management.
By 2004, the fund was managing several billion using its math-based strategies and moved over half of its staff to Cyprus for tax purposes. Around the same time, as she purchased the Falcon, the two partners started splitting up with the rights to their trading algorithms widely debated in courted and, reportedly, through corporate espionage within the firm. "There is something extraordinary about the IT at Ikos... Ikos is designed to remove human emotions from trading decisions." one of Ikos' employees told Business Insider.
Was the Falcon really the largest sailing yacht?
Following her delivery and at the time of her sale in 2009, the Maltese Falcon was hailed by international media as the largest yacht in the world. Within yachting, however, this claim always led to vicious debates.
Indeed, whereas it is clear that 180-meter Azzam is the longest yacht in the world and Dilbar is the most voluminous, both of these are motor yachts. With sailing yachts, the ranking is however much more opaque due largely to the measurement that is used.
Loaded waterline length, known as LWL, is the measurement of the length of a vessel from the points where it sits in the water. On the other hand, length overall, abbreviated as LOA, is defined as the maximum length of a yacht's hull, which for sailing yacht also includes the bowsprit, a key factor when measuring a sailing yacht and part of the difficulty in this ranking.
The Maltese Falcon's claim rested on its LOA measurement of 78.21-meters and the fact that she did not have a bowsprit to offset calculations. The 90-meter Athena, built for Jim Clark, Founder of Netscape in which Kleiner Perkins was an investor, was longer in absolute length but had a long bowsprit, which led to long debates.
The main contender to the title, other than the Falcon, was however the 93-meter Lurssen, EOS. Built for Barry Diller, the sailing yacht topped the rankings both in LOA and LWL. Since the yacht had a bowsprit, some argued that her length at waterline should be used (83m) whereas the Falcon should be measured in total length (88m), hence putting her on top.
Recently, this debate was rendered moot by the launch of the 106-meter yacht, Black Pearl by Oceanco. Designed by Ken Freivokh and with naval architecture by Dykstra, the sailing yacht features a Dynarig system, similar to the one found on the Maltese Falcon.
Whereas the Maltese Falcon may no longer be the largest sailing yacht in the world, her build has inspired many of the innovations later found on sailing yachts. As a testament to her popularity, she remains in high demand for charter, over 10 years after her initial delivery.
Paris Hilton and her family recently completed a Mediterranean holiday aboard the 24.4-meter Sunreef 80 Eco Nalani, a solar-electric catamaran that combines luxury with environmental consciousness. The black-hulled vessel served as the family's floating residence during their Sardinian getaway, accommodating Hilton, husband Carter Reum, and their two children.The Nalani features 340 square meters of living space across four staterooms and a children's bunk room. Its design emphasizes indoor-outdoor living, with a master suite featuring a private balcony and common areas that flow seamlessly between interior and exterior spaces. The yacht's integrated solar panels and hybrid propulsion system align with Hilton's public advocacy for sustainable luxury.During their charter, the family utilized the yacht's numerous amenities including a flybridge hot tub, open-air cinema, and various water toys. Hilton shared glimpses of their experience on social media, highlighting quiet family moments and Mediterranean sunsets.Sunreef's 80 Eco series represents the Polish builder's commitment to environmentally conscious yachting, combining conventional propulsion with renewable energy systems for limited silent operation. The model has gained popularity among charter clients seeking sustainable luxury options.The catamaran's layout prioritizes outdoor living with multiple lounge areas, including a forward terrace and aft beach club configuration. Its crew quarters accommodate four staff members to ensure full service during charters.Industry observers note growing interest in eco-friendly yachting solutions among high-profile clients, with solar-assisted systems becoming increasingly common in new builds. The Nalani remains available for Mediterranean charters through the current season.Sunreef continues production of its eco-focused catamaran line at its Gdansk facility, offering models from 15 to 30 meters in length. The company reports steady demand for vessels combining luxury amenities with reduced environmental impact.Sunreef Yachts was founded by Francis Lapp in 2002 in Gdansk, Poland. Since then, the shipyard has been designing and manufacturing luxury sailing and power multihulls. Credits: courtesy by Paris Hilton; Sunreef Yachts
August 8, 2025
Nautor Swan will present two new sailing yachts at Europe's premier marine events this autumn. The Swan 51 performance cruiser will make its world premiere at the Cannes Yachting Festival (9-14 September), while the flagship Swan 128 will debut at the Monaco Yacht Show.Swan 128The 15.5-meter Swan 51 enters the competitive 50-foot segment as the smallest model in Swan's performance cruiser line. Developed from experience gained with over 70 yachts between 14.6 and 16.8 meters built since 2019, the design features a mast positioned closer to the keel for improved balance. The model succeeds the original 1981 Swan 51, the first Swan collaboration with designer German Frers.Giovanni Pomati, Nautor Swan CEO, stated: "From the high-performance elegance of the Swan 51 to the refined design of the Swan 128, we offer our global sailing community to experience the authentic spirit of sailing."Alongside the Swan 51, Cannes attendees will see the ClubSwan 43 and Swan 88 models. The 39-meter Swan 128 will represent the Finnish builder's largest offering at Monaco.Swan 51From 19-21 September, Nautor Swan will host an exclusive viewing event at Porto Carlo Riva in Rapallo, Italy, providing private access to its current model range.The autumn presentations mark Nautor Swan's continued expansion across multiple sailing yacht segments, from performance cruisers to maxi yachts. Both new models will be available for viewing by appointment following their official debuts.Nautor Swan was founded in 1966 in Pietarsaari, Finland. The builder entered the superyacht market in 1999. Since then, the yard has continued building high-performance sailing yachts in three different lines; ClubSwan, Swan Yachts and Maxi Swan Yachts. Credits: Nautor Swan
August 7, 2025
Riva has launched its new 54-meter flagship, the largest yacht ever built by the Italian shipyard, at its Superyacht Division facility in Ancona. The all-aluminum vessel represents the brand's expansion into the megayacht segment while maintaining Riva's signature styling.Developed through collaboration between Officina Italiana Design, Ferretti Group's Engineering Department, and the Strategic Product Committee led by Piero Ferrari, the 54METRI features a gross tonnage below 500 GT. The exterior design combines Moon Grey, London Grey, and Bright Black finishes with polished steel details and the brand's characteristic aquamarine waterline.Ferretti Group CEO Alberto Galassi stated: "Now every yachting enthusiast and Riva fan has a new boat to dream about. A paragon of beauty and elegance, Riva 54METRI showcases the unstoppable momentum of the world's most famous shipyard in its pursuit of innovation."The four-deck layout accommodates 10 guests across four cabins and a main-deck master suite, with crew quarters for 11 personnel. Notable features include a 5-meter stern pool with fold-out terraces, concealed bow tender storage, and extensive use of premium materials including Sahara Noir and Bianco Rhino marble.Technical specifications include four electric stabilizer fins, dual radar systems, 5G and Starlink connectivity, and a bridge outfitted with multiple touchscreen displays. The design emphasizes acoustic insulation and crew circulation routes to maintain guest privacy.Sea Pros Yachts founder Alain Maaraoui facilitated the build for the Kuwait-based owner. The launch marks Riva's continued expansion of its superyacht offerings while preserving design elements from its smaller production models. The 54METRI will now undergo final outfitting before delivery.The Ferretti Group, led by Chief Executive Officer Alberto Galassi, is now one of the world’s leaders in the construction and sale of luxury yachts and pleasure vessels, with a unique portfolio of brands: Ferretti Yachts, Riva, Pershing, Itama, Mochi Craft, CRN, Custom Line and Wally.Credits: Ferretti Group
August 7, 2025
The 45.6-meter converted trawler Scintilla Maris has concluded a rigorous 10-month shakedown cruise covering 11,000 nautical miles across the North Atlantic. Owner Erik Vonk and his wife departed the Netherlands in April 2024, undertaking an improvised route through Scotland's Outer Hebrides, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, and North America before returning to the shipyard.The expedition tested the Vripack-designed yacht's performance in challenging conditions, including 6-meter swells. Vonk reported the vessel maintained operational comfort throughout, particularly noting the effectiveness of the heat recovery system during Arctic transits where exterior temperatures plummeted. The open bridge configuration allowed guests to participate in navigation during the 700-nautical-mile crossing to Newfoundland.The cruise included extended stops at remote locations, with the yacht often being the only visiting vessel in areas like Scotland's Rum Island and the Faroe Islands. Local communities frequently greeted the crew, with Vonk recalling particularly hospitable receptions in Icelandic fishing villages where stays were repeatedly extended.Following successful completion of the transatlantic voyage, Scintilla Maris returned to the Netherlands to prepare for its first commercial charter season in Iceland. The yacht's conversion from industrial trawler to expedition vessel took 15 years, with Vonk emphasizing its dual capability for remote exploration and luxury accommodation."I spent 15 years perfecting a boat that takes you places where few other people go," Vonk stated. "Scintilla Maris combines battleship strength with the comfort and luxury of a boutique hotel." The shakedown cruise confirmed the vessel's ability to access isolated destinations while maintaining premium onboard facilities, including a country-style galley and skylit interior spaces.Credits: Vripack
August 7, 2025
Azimut has launched the first unit of the Grande 30M at its Viareggio shipyard. The new model is part of the shipyard’s Grande Series and will make its official debut at the 2025 Cannes Yachting Festival.The yacht’s exterior design is by Alberto Mancini, while the interiors have been created by the architecture studio m2atelier. This is the first collaboration between the two design teams. According to Azimut, the interior layout follows a design approach referred to as "Barefoot Luxury", developed by m2atelier for this model.The Grande 30M is also the first yacht to be fitted with the new mtu propulsion system from Rolls-Royce. It includes mtu engines and POD drives, a combination that reportedly provides 15% greater efficiency compared to conventional shaft line systems, with reductions in fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions.Azimut, founded in 1969 by Paolo Vitelli and part of the Azimut|Benetti Group, builds motor yachts from 42 to 144 feet across seven series. The company maintains production facilities in five Italian locations and one in Brazil, and has a global network of sales and service centres.Credits: Azimut
August 6, 2025