The Falcon Rig
MALTESE FALCON is instantly recognisable due to her three free-standing carbon fibre masts, each with six fixed, curved yards along which 2,400sqm (25,833sqft) of sails rolled in the mast unfurl in under six minutes.
The Falcon Rig is a development of the DynaRig concept pioneered by German government scientist Wilhelm Prölss in the 1960s in response to a fuel crisis, a concept that enabled square-rigged craft to sail into the wind as well as conventional fore-and-aft rigged yachts.
But the strong, lightweight materials required had yet to be invented. Then the fuel crisis passed and, after wind-tunnel testing, the concept was shelved until naval architect Gerard Dijkstra and shipwright Fabio Perini were encouraged to dust it off by the American tech entrepreneur who commissioned MALTESE FALCON.
The system proved incredibly reliable with not a single failure in hundreds of hours of testing. She could sail upwind every bit as well as fore-and-aft rigged vessels.
She tacks quickly using a technique that backs the sails on the foremast to push the bow through the wind and the ability to adjust the amount of sail set at the push of a button means she is immensely comfortable to sail, she is never overpressed.
There is proof of the concept in the multiple trophies she has won at superyacht regattas around the world. This is not a gimmick, MALTESE FALCON is the real deal.