Maltese Falcon ... hit or miss?

[Leif HerrGesell]

She's a curious design for a man who so clearly loves the history and traditions of the sea. I suspect she's far more a commercial investment and a legacy than a personal yacht. It will be interesting to see What Mr. Perkins does with her over the coming months. As she charters more and moves into the black will he return to sailing more traditional boats?
It occurs to me to ask- what happened to his other yachts?
Perhaps he'll answer that himself.

[naval ark]

Originally Posted by Leif HerrGesell

...return to sailing more traditional boats?

I'm completely with you when it comes to traditional sailing vessels, many of which IMHO were the pinnacle of sailing design when motoring to windward was not an option.

However, it seems a bit strange that people are referring to 'traditional' sailing designs and to 75m sloops in the same sentence Now, personally I would love to see a return of real traditional vessels, but other than for sail training by the world's navies, or teaching wayward kids some sense of character, they don't seem to have much of a future. Lots of health and saftey regs with people actually having to go up a mast! I wonder how many health and safety people have ever been to sea...

So, back to topic - good on him I say. If Mr Dykstra didn't put forth his ideas, do a bit of r&d, dig out a few papers from his university days, and actually do a bit of innovative design work, we might've ended up with another one of these ungainly, impractical behemoth sloops

[Leif HerrGesell]

I agree about the reality of safety. I am a new yachtsman and an active reserve USN petty officer first class. Like so many things today we skip the basics or as the saying goes- throw out the baby with the bath water. Maintenance on a more traditional vessel, perhaps an older wooden or even an older fibreglass sloop teaches discipline, attention to detail and allows time for hands on familiarity. Today in yachting as in so many other things we want results without effort. Our disposable attitudes prefer objects that have a limited lifespan over those have weathered a storm or two. Planned obsolecence is looked upon as a favorable condition where the old is discarded in favor of some new generation with minor questionable upgrades. Meanwhile an aging yacht is relegated to the breakers or languishes in some tepid backwater where it slowly becomes an irretrievable hulk. I applaud innovation as long as we don't lose sight of past lessons learned and things tested and true.

Lets face it there is one truth which anyone who plays with boats knows regardless of where they sail, in the Solent on a lake in Minnesota or around Cape Horn- the sea only respects sailors who don't take shortcuts.

Absolutely right about behemoth sloops. Building a super sloop is doing something just becuase you can and not becuase its a good idea. I look upon those efforts as nothing more than an attention grab. Its far more noteworthy when one builds an obscenely oversized sloop instead of adding a mast and schooner rigging. In the states we are very quick to give attention to every freakish notion and virtually ignore the efforts of preservationists.

MF is well thought out even if a big departure for traditionalists like us.

[Seafra]

1985 called....they want their luxury cabin superstructure "styling" back.

[Leif HerrGesell]

Lets be fair. . .luxury isn't all its cracked up to be. After all somone has to brush the fur on the mink toilet seat and dryclean the $10,000 shower curtain.


"Humanum est errare"

[brian eiland]

The new magazine "Supersail World" published by Yachting World has just come out with a very intriquing photo shot by Sargentini Giuliano.

I just couldn't resist letting all those interested in this vessel miss this shot.

[Duma Tau]

She looks great to me; how refreshing to see some unique vessel design, and the people daring enough to put their money where their heart is.

I am a lover of old and traditional beauty in sailing yachts ( Fifes were built here in my backyard, and I sail a Fife now and then ) but the Maltese Falcon sets new parameters which will be remembered and copied as time passes.

We cannot stand still.

Vive la difference!

[mighetto]

Originally Posted by Leif HerrGesell

She's a curious design for a man who so clearly loves the history and traditions of the sea. I suspect she's far more a commercial investment and a legacy than a personal yacht. It will be interesting to see What Mr. Perkins does with her over the coming months. As she charters more and moves into the black will he return to sailing more traditional boats?
It occurs to me to ask- what happened to his other yachts?
Perhaps he'll answer that himself.

Perkens no doubt is writing up one hell of a novel. His disinviting of Patsi Dunn from HP to the launch party is already a great contribution to naval history. For those who don't know, Dunn was the hag responsible for what looks like Hurd's pending resignation as president of Hewelet Packard. It is all so cloak and dagger. What a great name for a boat. A boggie.

Frank L. Mighetto

[Shife]

Originally Posted by mighetto

Perkens no doubt is writing up one hell of a novel. His disinviting of Patsi Dunn from HP to the launch party is already a great contribution to naval history. For those who don't know, Dunn was the hag responsible for what looks like Hurd's pending resignation as president of Hewelet Packard. It is all so cloak and dagger. What a great name for a boat. A boggie.

Frank L. Mighetto

CAUTION: NOW ENTERING A FOIL HAT ZONE.

[Duma Tau]

My pal just phoned from the deck of Maltese Falcon, a guest aboard in the Monaco area, he raved on for ages about her.
Wish it was me there, as well.

Star Trek looked futuristic once.....................

[D'ARTOIS]

I have a large model of the Theaclipper Thermopylae - that could do about 18 knots under sail.
It was just a matter of time that someone with sufficient financial resources would consider to construct a modern version, with new materials and according knowledge.
The designer, Gerard Dijkstra, is a very proficient sailor himself, knows boating in and out - he worked with all sorts of vessels and knows certainly all kinds of rigs!
I believe that under bad weather conditions the Maltese Falcon handles better than Mirabella V. Why? Just like her predecessors, you can vary the rig and tune it just as is required in any windy or stormy situation the rig has more flexibility than Marabella's sloop rig.
Rigged in a classical way - just like a clippership, would have turned out to be a very expensive one because of the mass of gear, winches, blocks, tackles - you name it - that is required. The number of crew necessary to handle the ship, would be excessive: 2 or 3 watches of each 15 would be the bare minimum.

Now, with this kind of rig, I believe that 5 per watch will do nicely - with less danger to deckcrew than in the original clipperships.

In this respect, I think that Maltese Falcon is something special. A man, Tom Perkins, who did not follow the traditional path and also being able to do some outbox thinking, was required to start such a project.

That he took on Dijkstra for this kind of job doesnot surprise me. He is a most knowledgeable person who designed many different boats and one who knows sailing better than most designers.

I think that Maltese falcon is a safer boat to sail than Mirabella V in all aspects and her bit strange looks just need a bit of time of being appreciated.

Both boats are remarkable although I would have preferred Huisman Shipyards above Perini Navi.

Indeed Brian, the radarmast on the f'ocsle is an ugly thing.

[alpamis34]

My friends
What ever it is , this Maltese Falcon does worth to be appreciated due to its high quality production and it s style.I m asking you who has dared to design&build a sailing yacht like that in the world which has an 87m length??


Every design has its own problems naturally but it doesnt mean that it s bad.I believe Maltese Falcon is a triumph for this field and for the marine industry of Turkey.

[Vega]

Nice picture, on the November edition of Yachting world.

20 knots. Not bad

I like the sails, I hate that frontal antenna and I still think that the boat has too many decks.

[frankofile]

Regarding the location of the spar with all the radar and communication antennas, being in front of the sail plan it produces less drag than if it were in back. IMO
From the picture above, the spar creates less drag than if it were on the stern with the flow from all the sails all passing over it. If MF were sailing downwind then the spar and all its gear would directly affect the flow over the sails with their trailing vortices.
So I agree with the decision to place the spar at the bow. But why does it need to be so TALL???

[brian eiland]

Originally Posted by frankofile

Regarding the location of the spar with all the radar and communication antennas, being in front of the sail plan it produces less drag than if it were in back. IMO
From the picture above, the spar creates less drag than if it were on the stern with the flow from all the sails all passing over it.

I rather doubt it was placed there for aerodynamic reasons. I rather expect it had to do with the radar vision