Maltese Falcon

World's Most Stylish Superyachts Set Sail for Perini Navi Cup

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Yachts & Sailing, Events, Wealth

The Perini Navi Cup, an annual super-luxe regatta in Sardinia dedicated to the world's most stylish sailing superyachts built by the famed Italian boatyard Perini Navi, is gearing up for its biggest year ever with an extra day of racing and help from some big-name sponsors.

Hundreds of millions of dollars worth of yachts, from the megabucks Maltese Falcon to the Lord Foster-designed Panthalassa and founder Fabio Perini's own Elettra are slated to make the scene and compete for the top prize under the auspices of the ultra-exclusive Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.

Set to take place September 1–4 in the waters around Porto Cervo, big ticket sponsors include Rolex, Audi and Champagne Pommery.

Want to compete in the Cup? There are six Perini Navi yachts available for sale via global online luxury marketplace JamesList, ranging from the 131-ft. Clan VI built in 1983 for $7.3 million, to the 184-ft. Salute built in 2008 for $50 million. There are also six Perini beauties for charter on JamesList, from the 110-ft. Heritage M built in 2000 for $95,000 per week to an impressive 164-ft. cruiser built in 2001 for $195,000 per week.

Gallery: The Perini Navi Cup

Tags: Audi, JamesList, Maltese Falcon, Panthalassa, Perini Navi, regatta, Rolex, sailing yachts, Sardinia, sports, yacht charter, yachts

Netscape Billionaire Refits $100 Million Superyacht

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Wealth

Netscape Billionaire $100 Million Superyacht

At 295 feet, Netscape billionaire Jim Clark's Royal Huisman yacht Athena is the second largest sailing superyacht in the world. Just behind Barry Diller's 305-ft. Eos and just ahead of the famed Maltese Falcon at 289 feet, the stunning Athena is a sight to behold wherever she sets sail.

Now Clark, who's said to have paid under $100 million for the craft back in 2004, is having her refit in New Zealand – the largest such project ever carried out in the country – at a cost of tens of million of dollars including many high-tech additions.

Upgrades are reportedly being carried out at the behest of Clark's much, much younger new wife, former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue model Christy Hinze. He's 67, she's 31. We had dinner with the Aussie stunner once and found her charming.

Hinze apparently wants to freshen up the somewhat stodgy, old-guy interior done up in dark wood and hotel suite-type furniture. The yacht's deckplan features an open air lounge, media center, formal dining salon, library, main salon with wet bar and an alfresco dining area.

The Athena can currently accommodate ten guests in five cabins, with the lower deck comprised of a full-width master cabin with a Jacuzzi, study and walk-in wardrobe. Hinze will want to enlarge that, no doubt.

[via JamesList]

Gallery: Netscape Billionaire Jim Clark's Superyacht

Tags: Athena yacht, billionaire, Christy Hinze, Internet billionaires, Jim Clark, Jim Clarks yacht, Maltese Falcon, models, Netscape, New Zealand, Royal Hiusman, sailing yacht, supermodels, superyacht, worlds largest yachts, yacht

Perini Navi Founder's Personal Sailing Superyacht for Sale at $3 Million

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

The famous Maltese Falcon embodies the elegance married to technical excellence characterizing the sailing superyachts of Italy's Perini Navi. The firm was founded in the early 1980s by dashing yachtsman Fabio Perini who wanted a large sailing yacht that was modern, stylish, fast and relatively easy to sail. He revolutionized the world of sailing superyachts in the process, and one of the very first Perini Navi yachts he built for himself, in 1987. The 80-ft. Elettra (above) is now being offered for sale at $3 million, an important piece of modern sailing history. Still raced every year in the Perini Navi Cup against much larger craft, the yacht has a Kevlar-composite hull and and is capable of a crusing speed of 10 knots. With accommodation for seven guests and three crew members Elettra recently benefited from a total refit of all sailing systems undertaken by Perini Navi and has been the subject of constant upgrades and improvements over the years. The interior remains an icon of classic maritime style with tons of teak and nautical accents.

Gallery: Perini Navi 'Elettra'

Tags: Italy, Maltese Falcon, Perini Navi, Perini Navi Cup, sailing, sailing yacht, superyacht

Hot Holiday Charter: The World's Coolest New Superyacht for $1 Million / Month

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

Looking for something extra special to do for the holidays? For $1 million per month you can now charter the world's coolest new superyacht, the 164-ft. Exuma, in the South Pacific. As my colleague Noah Joseph reported in July when the sleek ship was first launched, the Exuma is the first motoryacht from famed Maltese Falcon builders Perini Navi. The aluminum-hulled yacht, which can accommodate ten guests in five luxurious staterooms, was just awarded the Rina Green Plus Platinum certificate in recognition of her proven commitment to environmental excellence, as well as the Most Innovative Yacht of the Year award at the 2010 World Yacht Trophy; she also took home top honors at the 2010 Nautical Design Awards. Interior furnishings for the beautiful craft were designed by Perini Navi's in-house team with a focus on classic maritime style, using oak, teak and Italian marble. The sleek ship has a range of 5,500 nautical miles at 12 knots and comes equipped with a fully customized 16.4 ft. amphibious vehicle and a 12 ft. hovercraft housed in two tender garages with gull-wing doors.

[via JustLuxe]

Gallery: Perini Navi Exuma

Tags: Exuma, Maltese Falcon, Perini Navi, South Pacific, superyacht, yacht, yacht charter

New 463-ft. 'Dream Ship' Will Be World's Largest Sailing Superyacht

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

The incredible 289-ft. Maltese Falcon is still the world's largest, best designed, and most expensive sailing yacht - but not for much longer. Turkish yachtbuilder Dream Ship Victory just signed a contract with the same team that designed the Maltese – naval architects Dykstra & Partners and Ken Freivokh Design – on a new 463-ft. sailing superyacht (above) that will literally dwarf the competition and become one of the largest yachts in the world. Unlike the Maltese however the new Dream Ship will be constructed entirely of wood, and will boast four masts to the Falcon's three. An initial concept of the new behemoth, which features an Art Deco-inspired streamlined design, was presented at the Monaco Yacht Show on the Dykstra & Partners stand and construction is slated to begin in 2011.

[via JamesList]

Tags: Art Deco, Maltese Falcon, sailing, sailing yacht, superyacht, yacht, yacht design

Perini Navi Superyacht by Lord Foster for $1 Million Per Month

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

For a cool $1 million a month you can now charter the world's most stylish sailing superyacht, designed by famed British architect Lord Norman Foster for Perini Navi, builders of the Maltese Falcon. Dubbed the Panthalassa, the 184-ft. yacht (which we first reported on last December) represents the "perfect fusion of contemporary living and the finest nautical heritage". Natural daylight suffuses the interior of the yacht through unique skylights designed by Foster to channel light from the sundeck and oversized portholes. The centerpiece of her luxe interior is a gracefully-flowing stairwell wrapped in a translucent acrylic enclosure allowing light to flow through the main saloon as well. There's room for 12 guests in the airy interior featuring teak flooring, saddle leather wall paneling and granite surfaces. Outside the deck features a variety of places to relax and an informal outdoor eating area. A lounge, bar, library and boardroom all feature glazed screens that can be opened to create a generous central saloon. Inside the cabins, leather wall paneling complements silk rugs and gold and black marble tiled baths.

Gallery: Perini Navi Panthalassa by Lord Foster

[via JamesList]

Tags: Lord Norman Foster, Maltese Falcon, Perini Navi, sailing, sailing yacht, superyacht, yacht, yacht charter

Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta Set for Sardinia

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Events, Sports

On June 8 – 12 Loro Piana, the Italian luxury clothing company known for the world's finest cashmere, will stage its annual Superyacht Regatta in the billionaire's haunt of Sardinia featuring some of the world's fastest sailing yachts. Hosted by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, sponsors include Perini Navi, builder of the famed Maltese Falcon, in partnership with Rolex and Audi. Last year's winner, Royal Huisman's 105-ft. Gliss, will defend her title against several sailing superyachts looking to pluck the prize from her grasp during five intense days of competition. Among the contenders will be Southern Ocean Marine's 105-ft. Liara; Wally's 100-ft. Y3K.; the Ed Dubois-designed, Fitzroy built 148-ft. Salperton IV; Perini Navi's 125-ft. P2; and more yachts measuring 80 feet and up. Apres-sailing there will be an owner's dinner at the yacht club and a beach party at the opulent Hotel Romazzino, part of the Luxury Collection.

[via JamesList]

Gallery: Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta

Tags: Audi, cashmere, Ed Dubois, Hotel Romazzino, Italian fashion, Italy, Loro Piana, Luxury Collection, Maltese Falcon, Perini Navi, regatta, Rolex, Royal Huisman, sailboat, sailing, sailing yacht, Sardinia, superyacht, Wally, yachting

Maltese Falcon Available for Charter at $500,000 / Week

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Wealth

Last August we reported that he 289-ft. Maltese Falcon, the world's largest, best designed, and most expensive sailing superyacht, had changed hands for around $100 million. Now the incredible craft's new owner, Elena Ambrosiadou, Greek-born founder of hedge fund Ikos Partners, has given her new toy a makeover and is offering it for charter in the Mediterranean this summer at $500,000 per week. Ambrosiadou, the UK's highest-paid woman and its wealthiest female entrepreneur, has replaced the previous owner's awful contemporary art and bejeweled Bugatti sculptures with slightly less awful artwork. Even so it doesn't detract from the spectacular atrium where the three decks are united by a circular stairway surrounding the main mast creating a spiraling effect, enhanced by natural light cascading through transparent floors. The main deck is a wide open space featuring a main saloon, an enormous aft cockpit, two separate studio areas and a majestic dining room. The Maltese also now comes equipped with a gymnasium, two Segway scooters, and a full time on-board sports therapist / masseuse.

Gallery: The New Maltese Falcon

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: Maltese Falcon, sailing, sailing yacht, superyacht, yacht charter

Sailing Superyacht Meteor for Sale at $46 Million

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

If you missed out on the Maltese Falcon, don't despair - you can still pick up one of the world's great sailing superyachts, Royal Huisman's 170-ft. Meteor (above). The stunning gaff rigged schooner has just been listed for sale via global online luxury marketplace JamesList for $46 million. Her classic lines married to 21st century sail and rig technology resulted in a number of World Superyacht Awards in 2008, including Sailing Yacht of the Year, and Best Sailing Yacht Exterior Styling. She's fitted with carbon fiber spars and rigging, high-performance sails and unusually wide teak deck planks. The interior has ample space for six guests in three stately cabins along with a crew of 12. There are acres of Swetania mahogany throughout the accommodations, and in the main salon a beautiful mahogany and delft tiled wood-burning fireplace sets the tone while a massive beveled glass skylight provides an abundance of natural light and air as needed. Two beautifully-varnished teak deckhouses are connected by a large, twin-tabled cockpit, with a wood-spoke wheel behind a glass-faceted binnacle. The main deckhouse is fitted with leather upholstered furniture as well as a cleverly concealed wet bar.

Tags: carbon fiber, CarbonFiber, Maltese Falcon, MalteseFalcon, Meteor, Royal Huisman, RoyalHuisman, sailing, schooner, superyacht

Perini Navi Panthalassa Yacht by Foster + Partners

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

Italian yachtbuilder Perini Navi, makers of the world's finest sailing yachts including the famous Maltese Falcon, have collaborated with superstar British architect Lord Norman Foster on its latest launch, the 184-ft. Panthalassa (above). Designed specifically for use as an ultra-luxe charter in the Caribbean and Mediterranean with rates beginning at about $300,000 per week, the all-aluminum alloy ketch can reach a maximum speed of 15 knots and has accommodations for up to 12 guests and a crew of 10. Foster + Partners designed the yacht's spaces as a fusion of contemporary living and the finest nautical heritage.

Outside the decks features a variety of places for relaxing and outdoor dining . Flexible, open living areas are the hallmark of the craft's interiors characterized by a lounge, bar, library and boardroom all featuring glazed screens that can be opened to create a generous central saloon. The three decks are connected by an oval stair, which is surrounded by light-reflecting acrylic rods to mirror daylight back into the living areas. Materials include teak, saddle leather and granite table surfaces. Inside the cabins, leather wall paneling complements silk rugs and gold and black marble tiled baths.

[via JamesList]

Tags: architect, Foster Partners, Foster Partners, Italy, Lord Norman Foster, LordNormanFoster, Maltese Falcon, MalteseFalcon, Norman Foster, NormanFoster, Perini Navi, PeriniNavi, sailing, sailing yacht, SailingYacht, UK, yacht

Maltese Falcon Designer's 1920s-Style Superyacht Inspired by JFK

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

Ken Freivokh, designer of the famed Maltese Falcon, the world's largest, most high-tech, beautiful and costliest sailing yacht, has gone classic for his latest project, the 1920's-inspired superyacht Sycara IV (above). The 151-ft. luxury yacht, built by the Burger Boat Company in Wisconsin, is designed to cruise the Great Lakes in high style and is partly inspired by John F. Kennedy's yacht the Honey Fitz. The aluminum-bodied craft resembles a classic wooden motor yacht with a schooner bow and fantail hull. The Art Deco-inspired interior woodwork is a masterpiece of handcrafted mahogany and madrone burl, with ebony, sycamore and padouk accents highlighted with stainless steel details in scores of inlays and moldings. Lalique bathroom fixtures are the finishing Deco touch. Of course she's also equipped with every bit of state-of-the-art tech you'd expect in a modern superyacht.

[via JamesList]

Tags: Art Deco, ArtDeco, Great Lakes, GreatLakes, John F. Kennedy, JohnF.Kennedy, Ken Freivokh, KenFreivokh, Lalique, Maltese Falcon, MalteseFalcon, superyacht, Wisconsin, yacht

Female UK Hedge Funder Revealed as Buyer of Maltese Falcon

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Wealth

The mystery buyer of the 289-ft. Maltese Falcon, the world's largest, best designed, and most expensive sailing superyacht, has been revealed as Elena Ambrosiadou, Greek-born founder of hedge fund Ikos Partners. The UK's highest-paid woman and its wealthiest female entrepreneur, Ambrosiadou, pictured above after winning the Perini Navi Cup with her new toy (and collecting the Rolex prize), is said to have paid $120 million for the megayacht. Built by Perini Navi for venture capitalist Tom Perkins in 2006, it remains the ne plus ultra of sailing superyachts, a masterpiece of technology and design, and was recently featured on the cover of Luxury Toys: Top of the World. Her revolutionary sailing system - the DynaRig - set a new milestone in yachting history: three self-standing and rotating masts hosting 15 sails for a total sail area of 25,791 square feet for unrivaled, performance maneuverability and record-shattering speed; she can complete Atlantic crossings in ten days.

[via JamesList]

Gallery: The Maltese Falcon

Tags: Elena Ambrosiadou, ElenaAmbrosiadou, hedge fund, HedgeFund, Maltese Falcon, MalteseFalcon, megayacht, Perini Navi, PeriniNavi, sailing, superyacht, Tom Perkins, TomPerkins, UK, yacht

Maltese Falcon Wins Perini Navi Cup

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Events, Sports

The new owner of the 289-ft. Maltese Falcon, the world's largest, best designed, and most expensive sailing superyacht, must be pretty pleased with his purchase, a relative bargain at $100 million thanks to the recession; the yacht just won the Perini Navi Cup, the world's most stylish and exclusive regatta which we wrote about last month. 19 superyachts all from the Perini Navi shipyard, builders of the Maltese Falcon, competed in the race which took place in the billionaire's playground of Sardinia. The triple masted Falcon reached top speeds of an impressive 21 knots to capture the Cup as well as a Rolex wristwatch presented by the president of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, His Highness the Aga Khan, and master yachtbuilder Fabio Perini.

[via JamesList]

Gallery: The Maltese Falcon

Tags: Aga Khan, AgaKhan, Maltese Falcon, MalteseFalcon, Perini Navi, PeriniNavi, regatta, Rolex, sailing, Sardinia, superyacht, yacht

The World's Most Stylish Yachts Set Sail for Sardinia

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

Italian shipyard Perini Navi, builders of the 289-ft. Maltese Falcon, the world's largest, best designed, and most expensive sailing superyacht, will stage the third annual Perini Navi Cup hosted in the billionaire's playground of Sardinia by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda on September 3rd – 5th. It's shaping up to be the world's most stylish and exclusive regatta with 22 Perini Navi sailing yachts gathering for the event, ranging from the 80-ft. Elettra, launched in 1987, to the Maltese Falcon herself, helmed perhaps by her mysterious new owner. All but two of them will top 130 ft.; among them will be the will latest model to sail out of the Perini Navi shipyard, the 183-ft. Riela, recently debuted at the Monaco Yacht Show.

[via Duncan Quinn]

Tags: Maltese Falcon, MalteseFalcon, Perini Navi, PeriniNavi, regatta, sailing, Sardinia, superyacht, yacht

Maltese Falcon Reportedly Sold for $100 Million

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Wealth

The 289-ft. Maltese Falcon, the world's largest, best designed, and most expensive sailing superyacht, has reportedly been sold for $100 million just a week after we reported the price had been slashed by $40 million. The incredible craft, which had at one point been listed as high as $165 million, was built by Perini Navi for venture capitalist Tom Perkins. The London Times reports Perkins has now found a buyer. "It has taken a while," he conceded to the paper, noting his profit margin had shrunk somewhat. "It is not the best time in the world to sell it. I can't tell you anything at all about the buyer. There is confidentiality." With its three 20-story carbon fiber masts fully rigged the yacht can cross the Atlantic in 10 days.

Gallery: The Maltese Falcon