Review: Perini Navi 289' Clipper Yacht "Maltese Falcon"

In an entertaining but almost eerie arrangement, Maltese Falcon’s “Shrine” decorates the salon in an artistic arrangement that in itself becomes almost a place of worship: the “Big Black Bird” as a symbol overlooking, and perhaps protecting (?) the yacht itself and all its inhabitants. A half-size model race car dominates the center table. “Dream On” they all seem to say, “The Falcon is here, watching over you.” Right out of the 1939 Dashiell Hammet novel/Bogart movie. Brrr-rrr.

Falcon’s inside/outside, rain-proof bar, also dominates the Main Deck’s gathering/conversation area, again flaunting the burgundy-ebony black leather and highly polished aluminum/silver/steel in a richly fashioned environment. Her superstructure design includes a number of compound curves and pantograph doors which fit nicely into the overall scheme.

Set above the main deck on its own level, beam-wide, the Owner’s Suite again houses elegance in artwork and design, with its island king-size berth centered, a rich, fabulous painting above. At port beam, a fully arranged office, while the entire suite echoes Falcon’s color and materials, burgundy, carbon, aluminum/silver gloss. Quite masculine, but not “dark and sinister” with the lighter colors accenting fabrics in blankets, sheets, carpeting. All in striking contrast against the dark bronzes of walls and furniture.

Reflecting Maltese Falcon’s column dependency, the Owner’s Bath sports wrap-around covered columns as well. However, with excellent design acumen, even this seems ultimately to belong, as colors and materials conform in an avant-garde modern display. It follows through with soft shaded glass wash basins and his/her separate facilities.

Not to be left behind in physical fitness, since so much of the ship is automated, the owner’s gym is outfitted with a full cadre of exercise machines to take the not-lost pounds into consideration.

On the lower deck, four double size guest rooms entertain as many as eight guests. However, these may also be opened up, by sliding doors, into two ultra large guest suites. These, too, follow the sleek, comfortable arrangements, colors and fabrics specified throughout the yacht; and in addition, offer his/her separate heads in the case of only two couples as guest charterers.

The Guest Cabin Study continues Maltese Falcon’s “study in bronze” shades, following its color theme in a sitting room as well as the bedroom, with comfortable furnishings including upholstered chairs, couches, and full carpeting.

Calling on more creativity, Her designers follow the elliptical shapes into the Guest Bath, which features a large vanity mirror, with the latest fixtures, plus a shower spacious enough for two.

Forward on the main deck, Falcon’s 16-person crew also benefits from the designers’ whimsies, sporting well designed modern execution in what might be ordinary day to day operations. At this size the super yacht easily offers all the space, grace and luxuries of every large luxury motor yacht.

Down below in an annex to the gigantic engine room, the Engineer’s Station is fastidiously laid out, with complete instrumentation to monitor every electronic nuance in this elegant but complicated ocean sailing yacht.

On those rare days when there is no wind, she is still capable of delivering the mail. For power running, Maltese Falcon flaunts a pair of 1,800 hp Deutz diesels, which will drive her comfortably at 19.6 knots. Her engine room also hosts three gensets, 280, 280, and 155 kW, which provide rig handling as well as at-anchor power for all facilities.

This angled view of her Engine Room shows the spaciousness, walk-around area which allows complete and facile maintenance on this lovely Black Bird’s innards.

The Maltese Falcon, in addition to all her comforts, honors and victories, is the ideal choice for large scale entertaining while meandering between smart anchorages, or for that once-in-a-lifetime blue water ocean passage, foaming through the crests, under a towering cloud of sail.

A masterpiece of technology and design,
the Maltese Falcon is without equal in the world.​

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Review by Capt. Chuck Gnaegy & YF Publisher Carl Camper
Technical Narration by MF Build Engineer; Jed White​

Specifications:

Year Delivered: 2006
Length: 88m / 289’
Beam: 12,6m /42.2’
Draft: 6.0 m / 19.7’
Displacement: 1,366 US tons
Fuel Capacity: 90,000 Liters/23,778 Gallons
Water Capacity: 30,000 Liters/7,926 Gallons
Gray/Black Water: 5,000 Liters/1,321 Gallons
Ballast: 250 tons Tons lead and7,926 Gallons salt water (moveable)
Mast Height: 58.2m / 191’
Sail Area: 2.396,0 m / 25,791.0’
Speed: 16 Knots/19.5 Knots
Range: 4,000 nm @ 12 Knots; 3,000 nm @ 14 Knots
Fuel Consumption: 12 kts approx 250 ltrs/hr, 14 kts approx 330 ltrs/hr
Materials: steel hull / aluminum superstructure.
Cert.: MCA Commercial and ABS A1 Yachting Cl.

Mechanical Equipment:

Engines: 2 x Deutz TBD620 V12 diesels; 1499 kW Hp
Gearboxes: ZF BW4661 uni directional gearbox with variable pitch propellers by KaMeWa
Steering: Marsili single rudder, twin ram configuration
Propellers: 2 x KaMeWa 1,700mm diameter feathering
Bowthruster: Ulstein TV45, 200 kW Single speed variable pitch
Generators: 2 x 280 kW Northern Lights 380V 50 Hz / 1 x185 kW 380V 50 Hz / 1 x 80 kW 380V 50Hz
Shore Power: 1 x 120 AMP transformer
Batteries: Exide gelAIR
Air Conditioning: Heinen and Hopman x 2 Bitzer screw compressor


For more information contact:

Perini Navi Yachts
Via M. Coppino 114
55049 Viareggio, Italy
www.perininavi.it

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DETAILS:​

Fabio Perini (L) and Tom Perkins (R), both well entitled to their roles in international business, started out right; in the right place at the right time. Perkins, a ’53 grad of MIT, then Harvard Business school, debuted at Hewlett-Packard as Head of Research, just as computers were beginning to hum. By ’72 he founded Kleiner, Perkins, Caulfield, Byers, one of the first venture-capital firms, as Silicon Valley was about to change America forever. Chairman of three NY Stock Exchange stars at the same time, he was a factor in Amazon, Genentec, Tandem, Acuson, etc. Also strongly interested in yachts and yachting, by the late 90s he cut back on Silicon Valley projects; he wanted a yachting challenge. Perini told him about the long abandoned 1,250 ton yacht hull, just waiting to be made into a voyager. The project appealed to both entrepreneurs. The rest is, undoubtedly, Yachting History.

Fabio Perini, an Italian inventor who sold his first machine at age 17, earned a fortune in paper-making machinery. By 1983 he had entered the yacht building business, creating yachts based on the same principles he created in paper technology; chalking up a series of 138 - 180 ft. standouts; eventually dominating a major portion of the large sailing yacht market. Fate inevitably paired the two strong idea-men, to collaborate on a creative undertaking whose time had come.

The original shell went through a major refit during construction. Ken Freivokh designed an entirely new superstructure. The original lift keel was removed and one meter was added to the keel with an extra 150 tons of lead so she could sail without a drop keel. The original bulbous bow was removed (tank trials showed it was of no value).

The Falcon doesn't use a dagger board, although a dagger board was initially designed to be bolted on when required, it was never commissioned. This resulted in a fixed draft of 6-meters (19.7 ft.), providing more than adequate protection for a pair of 1,700mm diameter, KaMeWa controllable pitch props.

Her mast motors are impressive, as shown in this close-up and in the previous mounting shot. Once they are completed and ready to mount, stepped, the motors can turn the yard-arms position on a circular swath of almost 12 feet – 3.5m, all executed from instructions by the computer-operator-helmsman.

The mast base shown here being lowered into position demonstrates how massive the design actually is, nestled inside the hull. Built individually of carbon fiber, each hollow mast’s shape changes from elliptical to round as it tapers to the bottom. H-girders inside add stiffness. The yards don’t move around the masts; they’re fixed, so the entire mast rotates, being set in a “bucket” universal joint for any directional movement. Furled inside the masts, clews are drawn out of each slot by separate electric motors.

Falcon’s completed mast, ready to be mounted on deck. As seen here, the yard arms – horizontal spars – are all securely fastened on the mast, and do not swing. Instead, the entire mast rotates. This innovation is possible only through use of the carbon fiber build; steel or aluminum would be far too weighty and easily disrupt the ship’s balance.

Falcon’s three masts align almost identically on the ship, bow to stern, but show slight variations in the spar levels, owing to the center mast mounted atop the central salon overhead. That apparently does not negatively affect performance. Heel angles of 25° in 35 knots wind have been experienced, somewhat less than standard riggers. Her normal performance at sail is 10.5 knots, with angle of heel +- 15°.