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]

A 137-ft. racing schooner dubbed the Elena, built in 1910 for financier Morton F. Plant and one of the most coveted superyachts of its day, has been rebuilt and relaunched in all its original splendor. Plant, who is best remembered these days as the man who traded his Fifth Avenue mansion to Cartier in 1917 for $100 and a pearl necklace, later sold the yacht to Cornelius Vanderbilt, and it won several of the major regattas of its day. Elena's crowning triumph came in 1928 when it won the 3,400 mile 1928 King's Cup Trans-Atlantic Race from New York to Santander, Spain. Now the Elena (above) has been completely rebuilt by Spain's Factoria Naval de Marin with help from the original hand-drawn plans donated by MIT. Historic images of the yacht were painstakingly studied to ensure that every detail was restored to perfection, from her towering masts and nearly 1,200 square meter sail plan to the wide teak deck and luxurious appointments. The Elena can accommodate 10 guests in Gilded Age luxury, with mahogany paneling throughout and elegant, period correct fittings discreetly updated with modern technology.

[via Duncan Quinn]

We've written about Louis Vuitton's close involvement with world-class sailing before - the long-running Louis Vuitton Cup followed more recently by the LV Pacific Series. Now the famed French luxury goods house, linchpin of the LVMH group, is sponsoring a new World Series of sailing, destined to be second only to the America's Cup. The Louis Vuitton World Series, undertaken in association with a new professional sailing group called the World Sailing Team Association (WSTA), will kick off with a regatta in Nice in November. Eight racing teams, including K-Challenge (France), BMW Oracle Racing (USA), Emirates Team New Zealand, Mascalzone Latino (Italy), Team Artemis (Sweden), Team Synergy (Russia), Joe Fly Italia (Italy) and Team French Spirit (France) will compete for starters, with others expected to sign up shortly. A series of international regattas will determine the ultimate winner.

[via JustLuxe]

Monegasque yachtbuilder Wally, known for its avant-garde designs, will debut two new sailing superyachts at the Monaco Yacht Show later this month. The Wally 100 Indio (above) is a 30-meter (100-ft.) sloop combining all the amenities of a blue-water cruiser with the performance of a maxi-racer; the sleek 59-ton yacht can do 12 knots amd has a total of six cabins providing accommodation for 10 guests and four crew. The 40-meter Wally 130 has an innovative keel and steering system which makes the 130-footer maneuver like a racing 80-footer. Wally President and CEO Luca Bassani her to be the only cruising yacht in the world that can sail faster upwind than the record-breaking maxi racer Alfa Romeo.

[via Duncan Quinn]

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]

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]

The 100-ft. ICAP Leopard racing yacht is officially the fastest sailboat on the water having just set a just new transatlantic speed record. The Leopard sailed at an average speed of 15.5 knots, and a top speed of 37.4 knots, to make the 2,925 nautical mile crossing from New York to Cornwall, UK, in seven days, 19 hours and 21 minutes. The record broken by the Leopard, for a monohull sailing craft - i.e. a proper yacht, not a catamaran - with power-assisted winches, was previously held by the 246-ft. superyacht Phocea, which sailed the course in eight days, three hours and 29 minutes. One of the most stylish and technologically advanced yachts ever to be launched, Farr Yacht Design provided the Leopard's basic naval architecture and construction engineering, with styling and interiors by Ken Freivokh. The yacht is available for charter for up to 20 guests at a base rate of £10,000 or about $17,000 per day, including champagne.

[via Duncan Quinn]

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.

Back in May The Classicist reported that the amazing 289-ft. Maltese Falcon, the world's largest, best designed, and most expensive sailing yacht, was for sale via global online luxury marketplace JamesList at €99 million or about $138 million. Now the price has been lowered to €70 million, a drop of about $40 million for a new price of about $99 million. 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.

Back in May we wrote about the amazing 49-ft. blacked-out Marten sailing yacht made of carbon fiber. Now New Zealand's Yachting Developments has come out with a superyacht version built along similar lines at 121 ft. Designed by Philippe Briand, the Bristolian is a lightweight, low profile, super-sleek sloop with an ultra-modern lightweight foam core interior, black hull, black carbon fiber rig and distinctive black sails. The yacht boasts an owner's cabin, two guest cabins forward, a split level saloon amidships and accommodation for 6-8 crew aft. Twin pod helm stations, usually only found on offshore racing catamarans, provide all necessary control and navigation equipment and direct access to the galley and crew quarters eliminating disturbance to the owners and guests. Sycamore wood paneling and a centerline skylight keep the interior light and open despite the yacht's menacing appearance.

The $130 million Maltese Falcon may be a bit beyond most people's means, but for $150,000 a week you can get a taste of ultra-stylish superyacht sailing with the 143-ft. Ohana (above), also built by Perini Navi and available for charter via global online luxury marketplace JamesList. The all-aluminum high-performance craft features accomodations for 10 guests and 7 crew in her clean, modern interior. Standout features are an enormous fly bridge with abundant sun cushions and a large sunken aft cockpit for dining and lounging. The yacht, which has a top speed of 13.5 knots, will be based in La Spezia this summer for charters in locales like Greece, Croatia and Italy.

The world's largest, best designed, and most expensive sailing yacht, the famous 289-ft. Maltese Falcon, has been listed for sale via global online luxury marketplace JamesList for $130 million. 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.

The yacht's incomparable interior is ultra-luxurious with a rich contemporary décor, and whimsical touches such as a statue modeled on a vintage Bugatti - a reference to the real Bugatti Perkins sold to help finance the yacht's construction. The interior finds its zenith in the atrium where the three decks are united by a circular stairway surrounding the main mast creating a spiraling effect, enhanced by natural light cascading from the top to the lower decks 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.

Twelve guests berthed in five lower deck staterooms and one inimitable owner's cabin on the upper deck with a private cockpit, a protected sun bathing area and direct access to the ultramodern wheelhouse at the heart of the whole vessel offer uncompromising comfort. An updated Art Deco feel is achieved using leather, steel and light-colored wood. One of the guest staterooms is a full beam master with a king berth, a separate full beam dressing room and a private gym on the lower deck. The other four guest suites can convert into two enormous VIP suites each with en suite baths. There are also facilities for 16 crew to look after the guests.

Australian yacht builder Azzura Marine has just launched its new $1.5 million Marten 49, a sleek-lined, super-stylish cruiser-racer with a carbon fiber hull, bulkheads and deck. Designed for maximum flexibility, maneuverability and luxury, the 49-ft. yacht's innovative hydraulic lifting keel improves performance when racing and reduces draught for accessibility to harbors and anchorages when cruising. The yacht, billed as the ultimate dual purpose vessel, features a teak interior with a master cabin equipped with a double bed, separate en-suite bath and shower, two guest cabins, a comfortable saloon and fully-equipped galley.

The world's fastest production sailboat, Le Breton Yachts' SIG45 (above), is for sale in the Netherlands via global online luxury marketplace JamesList for about $900,000. The SIG45 (SIG stands for "Speed Innovation Grace" is capable of sailing in excess of 25 knots, a speed normally restricted to powerboats. It was "designed to fill the gap between a high performance racing boat and a luxury cruising yacht, in the same way that today's super cars fill the gap between F1 and regular cars."

Built entirely of carbon fiber, the SIG45 was designed by the architects of the world's fastest offshore sailing yachts. Unlike a pure racing craft however, the yacht features stunning lines and a minimalist yet luxurious interior created by superyacht designer Bjorn Johansson. High quality fabrics and fittings were used throughout the three double cabins, two fully equipped heads, galley, saloon and separate navigation station.

Classic rocker David Crosby of Crosby, Stills & Nash fame has put his beloved wooden sailing yacht on the market after 40 years. Crosby is asking $1 million for the classic 59-ft. Alden 356-B Centerboard Schooner, named Mayan. Crosby, who had an affluent upbringing in California and learned to sail at age 11, composed several songs aboard the yacht which he lived on for long spells. The Mayan is pictured on the cover of the 1977 Crosby, Stills & Nash album CSN, and references to her can be found in songs such as "Wooden Ships," "The Lee Shore" and "Through My Sails."

Crosby originally purchased the yacht in 1968 and spent over $600,000 on a refit in 2005, including new electronics, and she has been upgraded annually. The Mayan, which is located in Santa Barbara, is described as "a very powerful design that takes the weather very well." The cabin layout is very traditional but easily sleeps eight in three staterooms plus a large saloon double berth. Stars like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell have sailed on her. Click here to see a photo gallery of the yacht.