Tom Perkins is one of Silicon Valley's pioneers, with a career spanning entrepreneurship, the management of major corporate activities and most importantly, venture capital. In 1972 he formed America’s premiere venture capital business with co-founder Eugene Kleiner. The partnership and the follow-on Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers series of partnerships have created some of the most interesting and innovative businesses in the world.
Prior to Kleiner Perkins, he started a company in the mid-1960’s (University Laboratories) to manufacture lasers based upon his original inventions in optics. The company was successful and merged into Spectra-Physics becoming a major part of that firm’s growth. Later he was the first General Manager of the Hewlett Packard Company’s computer divisions and is credited with establishing the foundation for the enormous growth which that business has enjoyed.
Tom Perkins is a graduate of MIT in Electronic Engineering and Harvard University in Business Administration. He is now, or has been, a Director of the following public corporations: Acuson (Chairman), Applied Materials, Compaq Computer, Corning Glass Works, Genentech (Chairman), Hewlett Packard Company, Hybritech, LSI Logic, The News Corporation, Philips Electronics NV, Spectra-Physics, Symantec and Tandem Computers (Chairman).
The information contained herein has either been given to us by the owner of the property or obtained from the sources that we deem reliable. We have no reason to doubt the accuracy but we do not guarantee it. The prospective buyers should verify the information contained herein.
The Maltese Falcon - World's Greatest Sailing Yacht - Owned by Tom Perkins
Here is the press release from Perini Navi, the Italian company which built the vessel:
Perini Navi is thrilled and proud to announce that on Wednesday June 7th the 88m Clipper Yacht the Maltese Falcon successfully completed her first sail trial on the Bosphorus sea, with an off shore breeze that gradually increased from 8 to 16 knots.
“The Maltese Falcon has written a new page in the history of yachting, the DynaRig is no longer an experimental concept” is the Owner, Tom Perkin’s first comment to this stunning success. “Everything worked as engineered and the yacht achieved some remarkable numbers: hard on the wind in 15.8 knots true, at 38 degrees relative wind angle, we sailed with no fuss or strain at 10.5 knots. On a close reach at 60 degrees relative angle, the speed (still at knots 16 true wind) climbed to 14 knots. The balance is, essentially, perfect – with weather helm never exceeding 0.6 degrees on the wind, or 2.5 degrees on a fast reach. The angle of heel was around 15 degrees, but in a puff, once touched 20 degrees. The leeway angle was well under 5 degrees (without the dagger-board in place)”.
“Since it was our first day out, and we wanted to be careful, these results were achieved with the topgallants and the royals furled – so we expect even better numbers in further tests. The maximum loading on the masts never much exceeded 50% of our (very, very, conservative) limit, so, we have plenty of room for some even better results”. These are the words that the Owner – who acted as «Project Manager» during both project conception and construction of his vessel – chose to describe The Maltese Falcon first sail ride.
The engine trials were also a great success: the specification called for 18 knots, but she achieved nearly 20 (19.6) knots, with minimal wave making and virtually no vibration with a smooth and non-turbulent wake. At full power the two 1,800hp Deutz engines – which turn at only 1,800rpm – made almost no noise; so little that the sound from the air-conditioning in the aft cabins was louder than the sound from the engines.
The Maltese Falcon’s design and construction has been a collaboration between Perini Navi, Ken Freivokh, and Dijkstra & Partners. Her three carbon fibre masts, manufactured and assembled at the Yildiz Gemi yard in Tuzla under the supervision of the English company Insensys are free-standing and rotating, an absolute world-first for an application of this size and complexity. Based on the DynaRig square rig concept – developed with Gerry Dijkstra & Partners of Holland, each mast carries five separate square sails supplied by Doyle Sails.
The Maltese Falcon’s stunning interior was designed by Ken Freivokh and supplied by German based Sinnex. Her accommodations can be configured from four to six stateroom suites. The Maltese Falcon is expected to sail in the Mediterranean early this summer.