Approaching the superyacht Maltese Falcon by tender from the Spanish isle of Mallorca feels almost cinematic. With a distinctly theatrical flourish, her three masts stand against the crisp blue Mediterranean sky, like something from a bygone century.
Only as I draw closer does the illusion resolve itself. This is not a historical revival, but one of the most technically ambitious sailing yachts ever constructed, still as arresting today as when she first launched in 2006.
Now, under the aegis of Jumeirah Group’s ultra-exclusive Prive Collection, the Maltese Falcon is entering a new, by-invitation-only era. It joins other Jumeirah experiences, such as the private 4.8-hectare Thanda Island, set within the Tanzanian Shungimbili Island Marine Reserve, which offer an entirely new level of access and exclusivity.
This partnership is a natural progression for the hotel group famous for its own nautical links. As the company behind the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab, as well as the cresting wave outlines of Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Marsa Al Arab, having one of the most distinctive and noteworthy superyachts in the world is a logical addition to its portfolio.
It is not available to just anyone, however. Starting at a cool €490,000 (Dh2 million) per week during the low season, and rising to €580,000 (Dh2.5 million) in peak season, this is aimed at those who appreciate the finer things in life, alongside the familiar touchpoints of their favourite hotel. Only VIP guests will be invited to book, making my own visit all the more remarkable.
The Maltese Falcon is famous in her own right, of course. Commissioned by the late American venture capitalist Tom Perkins, she was always meant to be more than a conventional yacht – doubling as an exploration of what advanced engineering and design could be when applied to sailing. Freed from the confines of tradition, the result is one of the most radical sailing vessels ever built.
The innovation is focused around the DynaRig system – later renamed the FalconRig – developed in collaboration between Dykstra Naval Architects and designer Damon Roberts. Three free-standing carbon-fibre masts rotate independently, standing 57 metres tall. The horizontal yards to which the sails are attached are deeply curved, while the sails themselves are stored within the mast, unfurling in a controlled sequence at the touch of a button. It is this trio set-up that makes the Maltese Falcon so instantly recognisable on the water.
While the yacht is engineered for simplicity and intuitiveness – Perkins once declared he could “teach any sailor how to handle her in five minutes” – he had to wait for technology to catch up with his vision.
Only as lightweight carbon fibre became available – better able to deal with the huge stresses his mast would have to endure – could the Maltese Falcon come to life. Unsurprisingly, the yacht has bagged 18 design awards since she was launched.
Once the sails are unfurled, they span about 2,400 square metres, creating a continuous aerodynamic surface with up to twice the efficiency of other sail configurations. As they unfold, a giant falcon emblem is revealed.
Every detail has been thought through – from sails unfolding in individual sequence to reduce strain, to masts that turn in place, giving captain Pierfrancesco Cafaro fingertip control when tracking the wind. As we navigate the Mallorca coastline, he steers the yacht via tiny turns of a dial, which seems disconcertingly low-key. Forget a captain hauling on a spoked wheel, today’s technology means that everything is handled via dials and buttons that would not look out of place on a supercar dashboard. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it was certainly not this.
So much technology begs the question of what happens if the power goes out. Cafaro is clearly used to the question, and takes time to outline how everything runs from three huge generators, with only two used at any given moment, to always keep a reserve. Should all three fail, a fourth generator will kick in.
The superyacht had arrived from the Caribbean days before we boarded, and the manner of her arrival shows her true size and capability. While small yachts are packed up for the Atlantic crossing to be transported on larger ships, at 88 metres, the Maltese Falcon can handle the crossing alone.
Traversing the Atlantic twice a year, Cafaro has tales of both giant waves and perfect conditions. During one crossing, he explained the beauty of being under sail for 19 days.
Between November 2022 and April 2023, the Maltese Falcon underwent an extensive, six-month refit at the Lusben shipyard in Italy, where the original dark interior of black and red was replaced with a warm palette of caramels, sands and beige.
The new, softer tonal register includes honey-coloured wood polished to a high shine, next to slubby linens and raw silks for a complex textural language. The exterior was also lightened from black to a Perini blue, to better complement the silver superstructure.
The pleasingly curved lines of the yardarms are echoed throughout the interior too, most notably as the rounded wooden walls and doors, which can be opened and closed at the touch of a button, to expand or enclose a salon or dining room as required.
At the centre of the yacht is a three-deck atrium, which is anchored by a spiral staircase with reinforced glass floors that allow daylight to filter down to the core of the vessel. It connects the full beam master bedroom on the top deck, as well as to the gym and spa treatment rooms below.
Carefully curated artworks add a sense of home from home, opting for character over banality, such as the poster-sized photograph of Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page on stage circa 1972, or an antique painted Japanese screen that doubles as a discreet door. In the main salon, coffee-table books and Sicilian Teste di Moro ceramics frame a baby grand piano, lending the effortless feel of a floating summer house. Discreet Jumeirah touchpoints are everywhere – from the scent diffusers to the crisp, practical staff uniforms.
Able to accommodate 12 guests, the suites are generous and well appointed. The master suite has its own deck, complete with a deck bed that can be angled to follow the coastline, while other guests can lounge on decks both fore and aft, lazing on hammock-strung beds.
Guests can choose where the fine dining meals are served – on the deck, or perhaps the dining room – as well as if dishes are prepared by a Jumeirah chef or the yacht’s own chef, trained to exacting culinary standards.
A crew of 19 tends to all aspects of life on board – from navigation and engineering to hospitality and recreation. Their work is largely invisible, yet essential in maintaining a seamless experience. Tables are silently laid and coffee magically appears, while baskets of sunscreen always seem to be at hand. A bar on deck means mocktails and juices are available at any time, while snacks are never far away.
Then there are what the crew refer to as “the toys” – jet skis, diving gear, kayaks, stand-up paddle-boards and eFoils designed for fun on the sea. There are even underwater scooters for that Thunderball James Bond moment.
The yacht has three tenders, which are lifted into and out of the water via a clever crane in one of the masts, and whisk guests to and from shore, to enjoy local eateries or take in the nightlife. If the guests prefer to stay on-board, one deck transforms into a cinema, with the film projected on to the sails.
The rhythm of life on board is a reflection of the season. Winters are spent in the Caribbean, tracing a route between Antigua, St Barts, and the Bahamas, while summers shift to the Mediterranean, the Italian coastline, the French Riviera and the Spanish Balearics. The Maltese Falcon also travels further east to Croatia, Montenegro, Greece and Turkey.
As a jumping-off point to the yacht in the Med, guests can make the most of other Jumeirah properties, such as the Spanish clifftop Jumeirah Mallorca, which overlooks Port de Soller, or the Jumeirah Capri Palace on the Italian isle of Anacapri.
The Maltese Falcon, even amid the upper tier of superyachts, is a rare mix of the romance of sail and the precision of modern engineering. Her rehaul ensures she is equipped with state-of-the-art systems, while the experience of the captain and his crew ensures every detail is anticipated without compromise.
To step aboard is to encounter a form of luxury that is reserved for a select few. Interestingly, her interior is less about accumulation than chic individuality, and more aligned with a familiar, much-loved space that happens to float.
The following day, as we admired her from the Mallorcan coast, we watched people stop to photograph her. Some may have recognised her, others perhaps not, but we were all drawn to her most enduring quality: not of flashy spectacle, but of something timelessly elegant made seaworthy.
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