Turkey’s Pride bids farewell
Güncelleme Tarihi:
It took three years and 200 workmen to build the largest personal sailboat in the world – the Italian Perini Navi Group’s Maltese Falcon. Built after three years, at the Yıldız Boatyard in Tuzla, Turkey, the Maltese Falcon is finally bidding farewell to the Marmara.
Delivered to her new owner, American businessman Tom Perkins at Çırağan Palace in Istanbul, the enormous sailboat draws attention to itself with its one-of-a-kind DynaRig rigging. The cost of making this vessel is said to have reached between $60 to $100 million.. Measuring 87 metres in length, the sailboat has the capacity to reach top speeds of 30 knots. With a total sail size of 2400 metres square, all 15 of its sails can be controlled from a control panel, therefore taking away the need for the ropes, sheets and cranes that are found on classic sailboats.
Following the reception attended by the CEO of Perini Navi Group, Mr. Giancarlo Ragnetti, many shipowners and Deniz Baykal, the Republican People’s Party (CHP) Leader, Baykal, Ragnetti and the ships owner, Tom Perkins, took a small boat across to the sailboat, anchored in the Istanbul Bosphorus.