• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Megayacht News 2021 Logo

Megayacht News

the trusted source for megayacht and superyacht information

Megayacht News 2021 Logo
  • Home
  • Yachts
    • Associations & Organizations
          • Associations & Organizations Recent Posts
            Yachting for Forests aims for more sustainability aboard superyachts
            Yachting for Forests: Sustainability Standards for Woods on Your Yacht

            March 27, 2023 By Marie Cullen

            Junior SeaKeeper students learn about water sampling from superyachts
            Junior SeaKeeper Program Wants Young Ocean Ambassadors

            July 20, 2022 By Marie Cullen

            superyacht company Northrop & Johnson is supporting Water.org
            Water.org Gains Support From Northrop & Johnson

            June 11, 2022 By Marie Cullen

    • Brokerage
          • Brokerage Recent Posts
            the yacht Yersin is for sale
            Yacht Yersin Hits Brokerage Market for New Adventurous Owners

            August 17, 2023 By Diane M. Byrne

            Graceful is alleged to be among Russian-owned superyachts
            Imperial Yachts, Several Superyachts Added to U.S. Sanctions List

            June 3, 2022 By Diane M. Byrne

            a new Y.CO partnership with YachtAid Global will see superyachts step up for sustainability
            Y.CO Partnership With YachtAid Global Supports New Sustainability Efforts

            June 12, 2021 By Diane M. Byrne

    • Motoryachts
          • Motoryachts Recent Posts
            Custom Line Navetta 30 Yacht Number 18
            Meet the 18th Custom Line Navetta 30 Yacht Launch

            December 1, 2023 By Ken Kremsler

            the Antonini Navi yacht Seamore
            Antonini Navi Yacht Seamore Kicks Off Semi-Custom Series

            November 30, 2023 By Marie Cullen

            the Codecasa C124 yacht arriving in Viareggio
            Codecasa C124 Yacht Completes Journey

            November 30, 2023 By Marie Cullen

    • Sailing Yachts
          • Sailing Yachts Recent Posts
            the Drift Energy MVY design is a catamaran
            Drift Energy MVY Design Can Supply Green Fuel for Your Superyacht

            November 29, 2023 By Diane M. Byrne

            the Perini Navi yacht Project 605 sugar scoop stern
            Perini Navi Yacht Project 605 Available for 2025 Sailing

            November 17, 2023 By Marie Cullen

            the Baltic 175 yacht refit ex Pink Gin
            Baltic 175 Yacht, Ex-Pink Gin, “Back Home” for Major Refit

            November 16, 2023 By Diane M. Byrne

    • Superyacht 101 Series
          • Superyacht 101 Series Recent Post
            Buddy Darby
            Superyacht 101 Series: Advice From Fellow Owner Buddy Darby

            November 9, 2016 By Diane M. Byrne

            Mark Robba
            Superyacht 101 Series: Advice From Fellow Owner Mark Robba

            October 31, 2016 By Diane M. Byrne

            superyacht 101 owner's representative
            Superyacht 101 Series: Selecting an Owner’s Representative

            July 29, 2016 By Diane M. Byrne

    • Tenders, Toys, &
      Products
          • Tenders, Toys, & Products Recent Posts
            the Iceman yacht tender
            Iceman Yacht Tender Cometh, for Exploring as Much as Her Mothership

            December 2, 2023 By Diane M. Byrne

            the Prebit Thoa lamps
            Thoa Lamp Is a Portable Solution Specifically for Superyachts

            November 25, 2023 By Megayacht News Staff

            the AnchorGuardian anchor module
            AnchorGuardian Pledges to Keep Your Crew, and You, Safer: WATCH

            November 18, 2023 By Marie Cullen

    • The Superyacht 6
          • The Superyacht 6 Recent Posts
            The Superyacht 6: 6 Superb Charter-Yacht Crews

            October 23, 2011 By Diane M. Byrne

            The Superyacht 6: 6 Must-See Megayachts at the Fort Lauderdale Show

            October 9, 2011 By Diane M. Byrne

            The Superyacht 6: 6 Editor’s Picks From the Monaco Yacht Show

            September 24, 2011 By Diane M. Byrne

    • Photo Galleries
          • Ferretti Yachts Infynito 90 yacht bow lounge
            Ferretti Yachts Infynito 90 Yacht Opens Up, Quite Literally, New Lounging Options: Photo Gallery

            November 9, 2023 By Diane M. Byrne

            Sunseeker Ocean 182 yacht in NYC
            Sunseeker Ocean 182 Yacht: Megayacht News Onboard

            November 1, 2023 By Diane M. Byrne

            the dramatic staircase aboard the yacht Virtuosity
            Yacht Virtuosity Is a Perfect Party Platform: Photo Gallery

            October 25, 2023 By Diane M. Byrne

    • Sponsored Posts
          • Yacht Sponsored Posts
  • Builders
    • Builders Directory
          • A - E
          • F - L
          • M - R
          • S - Z
    • Yard News
          • Yard News Recent Posts
            J'Ade is among iconic CRN superyachts
            6 Iconic CRN Superyachts From Yard’s 60-Year History

            November 7, 2023 By Diane M. Byrne

            Marine Group Boat Works is modernizing
            Marine Group Boat Works Modernizing for More Megayacht Services

            October 11, 2023 By Marie Cullen

            Bradford Marine has acquired Roscioli Yachting Center
            Bradford Marine Acquires Roscioli Yachting Center

            October 5, 2023 By Ken Kremsler

    • Sponsored Posts
          • Builders Sponsored Posts
  • Charter & Cruising
    • Charter & Cruising News
          • Charter & Cruising Recent Posts
            the master suite aboard the yacht Scintilla Maris
            Yacht Scintilla Maris Will Take You to Svalbard, Greenland, & More

            November 23, 2023 By Diane M. Byrne

            the superyacht tenders of the yacht St. David
            Yacht St. David Cruises Back to Your TV in Below Deck Season 11

            November 6, 2023 By Diane M. Byrne

            the dramatic staircase aboard the yacht Virtuosity
            Yacht Virtuosity Is a Perfect Party Platform: Photo Gallery

            October 25, 2023 By Diane M. Byrne

    • Charter Yacht Brokers
      Directory
          • A - D
          • E - L
          • M - R
          • S - Z
    • Destination Guides
          • Destination Guide Recent Posts
            chartering in Costa Rica: sunsets
            Why Chartering in Costa Rica Is an Immersive Natural Experience

            August 4, 2023 By Diane M. Byrne

            Newport is among American megayacht destinations
            American Megayacht Destinations for the Fourth of July

            July 4, 2023 By Ken Kremsler

            visit Bahia De Los Angeles when cruising Baja by superyacht
            Cruising Baja by Superyacht: 5 Must-See Spots

            May 5, 2023 By Megayacht News Staff

    • Marinas News
          • Marina News Recent Posts
            Safe Harbor Marinas is developing a San Juan superyacht marina
            San Juan Superyacht Marina Opening in 2024

            November 22, 2023 By Ken Kremsler

            Harbour Town Yacht Basin in Hilton Head
            Harbour Town Yacht Basin Earns Clean Marina Certification

            November 11, 2023 By Ken Kremsler

            the Antigua Yacht Club Marina in 2016
            Antigua Yacht Club Marina Devastated by Fire

            October 3, 2023 By Diane M. Byrne

  • People
    • Consultants
          • Consultants Recent Posts
            Camper & Nicholsons Corporate Services is for superyacht tax help and more
            Camper & Nicholsons Corporate Services to Help Superyacht Owners Navigate Complexities

            November 15, 2023 By Diane M. Byrne

            Adrienne Gang is organizing culinary and interior courses for Blue Oceans Yachting
            Blue Oceans Yachting Offering Courses for Superyacht Chefs and Foodie Fans

            September 23, 2023 By Marie Cullen

            the Ocean Titans docu-series honors the Water Revolution Foundation
            Ocean Titans Docu-Series Honors Water Revolution Foundation: Sunday Superyacht Video

            September 3, 2023 By Marie Cullen

    • Crew
          • Crew Recent News
            the 221-foot yacht Loon and toys; Nina Wilson is aboard as The Crew Chef
            Breakfast Is Served With The Crew Chef: Sunday Superyacht Video

            November 19, 2023 By Ken Kremsler

            the Honours awards recipient Zoran Selakovic
            Honours Awards Fete 3 Significant Superyacht Industry Innovators

            September 30, 2023 By Diane M. Byrne

            superyacht industry careers are varied
            Superyacht Industry Careers Website Strives to Guide and Help Retain Crew

            September 6, 2023 By Ken Kremsler

    • Designer Directory
          • A - D
          • E - L
          • M - E
          • S - Z
    • Designers
          • Designers
            Pulina Exclusive Interiors is working with ARTEP
            Pulina Exclusive Interiors Unites Realistic Sustainable Décor Solutions

            October 21, 2023 By Diane M. Byrne

            the Designers' Protocol focuses on sustainability
            Designers’ Protocol to Guide Superyacht Owners Into More Sustainable Projects

            October 7, 2023 By Marie Cullen

            Vripack is upcycling with North Sails to get superyachts to help clean beaches
            Vripack Is Upcycling Sails Into Beach Cleanup Bags—and You Can Get One

            December 3, 2022 By Marie Cullen

    • Leadership Series
          • Leadership Series Recent Posts
            Alexander Dreyfoos
            Megayacht News Leadership Series: Alexander Dreyfoos, Silver Cloud Owner

            September 6, 2016 By Diane M. Byrne

            Roberto Zambrini
            Megayacht News Leadership Series: Roberto Zambrini, Mondomarine

            August 1, 2016 By Michael Verdon

            Antonio Romano Hot Lab Yacht & Design
            Megayacht News Leadership Series: Antonio Romano, Hot Lab

            July 1, 2016 By Frances and Michael Howorth

    • Owners
          • Owners Recent Posts
            Dossier says Putin owns two more superyachts, including Victoria
            Vladmir Putin Owns 2 More Superyachts, Russian Critics Claim

            November 21, 2023 By Diane M. Byrne

            the Honours awards recipient Zoran Selakovic
            Honours Awards Fete 3 Significant Superyacht Industry Innovators

            September 30, 2023 By Diane M. Byrne

            the winning bid for Alfa Nero is in question
            Winning Bid for Alfa Nero Withdrawn, Runner-Up Bidder Files Suit  

            September 11, 2023 By Diane M. Byrne

    • Yard Staff
          • Yard Staff Recent Posts
            Giuseppe Taranto was the vice chairman of The Italian Sea Group superyacht conglomerate
            Giuseppe Taranto, The Italian Sea Group Vice Chairman, Dies

            February 27, 2023 By Diane M. Byrne

            Jan-Eric Nyfelt, a co-founder of the Baltic Yachts superyacht yard, as a young sailor
            Jan-Erik Nyfelt, Baltic Yachts Co-Founder, Dies

            February 7, 2023 By Diane M. Byrne

            Donald L. Blount left an indelible mark on superyachts
            Superyacht Owners & Industry Figures Who Died in 2022

            December 29, 2022 By Diane M. Byrne

  • Events
    • Awards
          • Awards Recent Posts
            Amos Nachoum may attend the Bal de la Mer
            Bal de la Mer Gala Marks 25th SeaKeepers Anniversary

            October 6, 2023 By Marie Cullen

            the Honours awards recipient Zoran Selakovic
            Honours Awards Fete 3 Significant Superyacht Industry Innovators

            September 30, 2023 By Diane M. Byrne

            superyacht crew awards nominations
            The Crew Awards Nominations: Seeking Superb Yachties

            April 15, 2023 By Ken Kremsler

    • Boat Shows & Seminars
          • Boat Shows & Seminars Recent Posts
            the Benetti Ubiquitous is among FLIBS superyachts to see
            FLIBS Superyachts to See This Month

            October 16, 2023 By Ken Kremsler

            Adrienne Gang is organizing culinary and interior courses for Blue Oceans Yachting
            Blue Oceans Yachting Offering Courses for Superyacht Chefs and Foodie Fans

            September 23, 2023 By Marie Cullen

            the annual Monaco Superyacht Finance Forum is in Monte-Carlo
            Annual Monaco Superyacht Finance Forum Approaching

            September 16, 2023 By Ken Kremsler

    • Fundraisers
          • Fundraisers Recent Posts
            Amos Nachoum may attend the Bal de la Mer
            Bal de la Mer Gala Marks 25th SeaKeepers Anniversary

            October 6, 2023 By Marie Cullen

            superyacht companies support the London to Monaco cycle ride
            Join the Fifth London to Monaco Cycle Ride to Support BLUE

            September 3, 2022 By Ken Kremsler

            superyacht owners can aid Mikoko Pamoja via Yacht Carbon Offset's blue carbon initiative
            Yacht Carbon Offset’s First Blue Carbon Project

            March 27, 2021 By Marie Cullen

    • Rendezvous & Events
          • Rendezvous & Events
            IGY Marinas Miami Grand Prix packages include superyacht dockage and race tickets
            IGY Marinas Miami Grand Prix Packages Available

            April 11, 2023 By Marie Cullen

            Marina Port Vell is the Preferred Superyacht Marina for the 37th America's Cup
            Marina Port Vell Named Preferred Marina for Superyachts for America’s Cup

            January 17, 2023 By Diane M. Byrne

            the Superyacht Cup Palma 2022 has high interest
            Superyacht Cup Palma 2022 Set to Kickstart the Summer

            April 12, 2022 By Marie Cullen

    • The Superyacht Cup
          • The Superyacht Cup Recent Posts
            the Superyacht Cup Palma 2023 is the 27th year of the race
            Superyacht Cup Palma 2023 Setting Sail: Sunday Superyacht Video

            January 29, 2023 By Marie Cullen

            The Superyacht Cup Palma regulars and newcomers are excited
            Superyacht Cup Palma Regulars and Newcomers Set to Race

            January 29, 2022 By Marie Cullen

            the Superyacht Cup Palma is exclusively for sailing superyachts
            Superyacht Cup Palma to Celebrate 25th Anniversary, With Changes

            February 27, 2021 By Marie Cullen

    • Sponsored Posts
          • Events Sponsored Posts
  • Podcasts & Videos
    • Podcasts
          • Recent Podcasts
            Triton Submarines makes superyacht submersibles
            Beyond the Surface With Superyacht Submersibles: Safe Deep-Sea Adventures Await

            November 27, 2023 By Megayacht News Staff

            yacht insurance is complex
            Yacht Insurance: What You Don’t Know May Cost You

            November 24, 2023 By Megayacht News Staff

            Nicole Haboush of TJB Super Yachts creates luxury yacht charter experiences
            Luxury at Sea: The Art of Crafting Unique Yacht Charter Experiences

            October 13, 2023 By Megayacht News Staff

    • Yacht Videos
          • Recent Yacht Videos
            the Bolide 80 yacht
            Bolide 80 Yacht and Her 70+ Knots Speeds: Sunday Superyacht Video

            November 26, 2023 By Marie Cullen

            the 221-foot yacht Loon and toys; Nina Wilson is aboard as The Crew Chef
            Breakfast Is Served With The Crew Chef: Sunday Superyacht Video

            November 19, 2023 By Ken Kremsler

            the Wally wallywhy150 yacht underway
            Wally’s wallywhy150 Yacht Is a Space Ship at Sea: Sunday Superyacht Video

            November 12, 2023 By Ken Kremsler

    • Builder Videos
          • Recent Builder Video
            Inside the Shed at The Italian Sea Group
            Come Inside the Shed at The Italian Sea Group: Sunday Superyacht Video

            October 15, 2023 By Marie Cullen

            the Nordhavn 96 series includes the yacht VivieRae (not shown)
            The Yacht VivieRae and Her Amazing Australian Adventures: Sunday Superyacht Video

            September 24, 2023 By Marie Cullen

            the Swan Shadow superyacht chase boat
            Swan Shadow Superyacht Chase Boat Debuts in America: Sunday Superyacht Video

            May 7, 2023 By Ken Kremsler

  • About
Home / People / Owners / Tom Perkins, Renowned Megayacht Owner, Dies
Tom Perkins
PHOTO: Max Morse for Techrunch [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Tom Perkins, Renowned Megayacht Owner, Dies

June 10, 2016 By: Diane M. Byrne

Tom Perkins became a household name for his contributions to the creation of Silicon Valley. But the American businessman, who died on June 7 at the age of 84, became a household name in yachting, too. Over about 25 years, Perkins owned five megayachts, four of them being sailing yachts. Arguably the most famous: Maltese Falcon.

Perkins grew up in White Plains, New York. He sailed occasionally during his childhood, indulging in a love of the water that never waned throughout his life. Also never waning was a fascination with technology. He earned double degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the 1950s. After working for the navigation-equipment manufacturer Sperry Gyroscope Company, he joined Hewlett Packard in the 1960s. In 1972, Perkins started a venture-capital firm Kleiner Perkins, later called Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers. The firm invested in small computer and biotech businesses at a time when “venture capital” and “Silicon Valley” were phrases no one used together. The company funded businesses like Netscape, Google, and Amazon before essentially anyone other than their founders had heard their names.

Perkins’ life wasn’t all about business, though. His passion for yachting remained strong. In the 1960s, he purchased a 48-foot (14.6-meter) wooden yacht aptly named Teak Lady. She was one of the few sailboats built by Cheoy Lee. Perkins entered, and won, regatta after regatta with Teak Lady through the mid-1970s.

His first step into superyacht ownership came in 1987. Perkins had heard about an Italian engineer named Fabio Perini who had entered the yacht-building business. Intrigued, he met with Perini. The 141-foot (43-meter) Andromeda la Dea was the result. She was Perini Navi’s second sailing yacht, too (and still around, now known as Paz). Three years later came another Andromeda la Dea, also built by Perini Navi. She was 154 feet (47 meters), featuring a lower deckhouse. To say Perkins cruised extensively aboard this Andromeda la Dea is like saying Picasso liked to paint. He completed a circumnavigation, which included rounding Cape Horn and visiting Antarctica. Andromeda la Dea transited the Atlantic Ocean seven times.

Maltese Falcon Tom Perkins
PHOTO: Carlo Borlenghi

Perkins’ competitive spirit stirred, though. He found Mariette, a Hereshoff-designed schooner from 1915. The 110-footer (33.5-meter) needed significant work, which didn’t dissuade Perkins. He obtained her original drawings to ensure she’d be painstakingly restored. Mariette went on to enter regattas through the mid-1990s. “She is to yachting what Raquel Welch used to be to bathing suits,” writes David Kaplan in his book about Perkins, Mine’s Bigger: Tom Perkins and the Making of the Greatest Sailing Machine Ever Built. Tragedy occurred in 1995, when Mariette collided with another yacht during a race in St. Tropez, killing one of that yacht’s crewmembers. Perkins and the other boat’s skipper were each convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 1996.

Perkins was shaken from the experience, and stepped away from Mariette for some time. Yachting remained a passion, and he turned his attention to restoring the 1930 classic motoryacht Atlantide in 1998. An unfinished hull sitting in Perini Navi’s Turkish yard caught his attention in time, too. She was for a 289-footer (88-meter). The hull became the DynaRig-equipped Maltese Falcon. In his above-mentioned book, Kaplan wrote:

Now, at seventy-four, Perkins was setting out to transform the art of sailing. His 130-million-dollar yacht, anchored a few hundred yards out front of the palace, was the Maltese Falcon, a twenty-first century clipper ship that was bigger, faster, higher-tech, more expensive and riskier than any private sailing craft in the world. The Falcon was as long as a football field, forty-two feet wide, twenty feet deep, with three masts each soaring nearly twenty stories toward the heavens. On each mast were six horizontal yards—ranging from forty feet to seventy-four feet in width—to support the sails. The size of the Falcon was utterly out of scale with anything nearby—the ramshackle fishing boats, the tourist ferries traversing the Bosphorus, even the palace. If the ship were anchored in New York Harbor, she’d reach up to the level of the tablet carried in the arm of the Statute of Liberty. The exterior had teak decks, a varnished cap rail, stainless-steel fixtures and exquisitely finished surfaces-—attributes of a classic ship-—yet the overall look was sleek, metallic and ultramodern to the point of seeming foreboding. If Darth Vader had an intergalactic yacht built for himself, this is what it would look like.

Maltese Falcon turned heads wherever she went. She also became an in-demand charter yacht. Perkins sold her in 2009, though he kept one of her toys. It was a DeepFlight Super Falcon personal submarine. Perkins loved the sub about as much as he loved his yachts. He later toted the Super Falcon aboard a motoryacht he had converted from a fisheries training ship that was originally built in 1995. Dr. No, as Perkins christened the expedition yacht in 2011, measured 121 feet (37 meters). Her LOA was a far cry from that of Maltese Falcon or the two Andromeda la Dea yachts, but no less treasured, or cruised upon. Perkins took Dr. No, and the Super Falcon, to as regions as far away as Papua New Guinea and Tonga.

Related posts

Default ThumbnailTom Perkins Sells Maltese Falcon Donald Patton megayacht surveyorDonald Patton, Renowned Yacht Surveyor, Dies Donald L. Blount left an indelible mark on superyachtsDonald L. Blount, Renowned Naval Architect, Dies

Categories: Owners, PeopleTags: Perini Navi

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Search Megayacht News

Popular Posts

  • Yacht Mustique in Below Deck Med: Learn All About Her
  • The Yachts of TV’s Below Deck
  • Vladmir Putin Owns 2 More Superyachts, Russian Critics Claim

Explore more

  • Triton Submarines makes superyacht submersibles
    Beyond the Surface With Superyacht Submersibles: Safe Deep-Sea Adventures Await
  • yacht insurance is complex
    Yacht Insurance: What You Don’t Know May Cost You
  • Dossier says Putin owns two more superyachts, including Victoria
    Vladmir Putin Owns 2 More Superyachts, Russian Critics Claim
  • the Burger 142 Atrium yacht with chandelier
    Burger 142 Atrium Yacht Invites You to Make a Grand Entrance
  • Westport 135 yacht launch (the ex-Westport 125 yacht hull 9)
    Welcoming the Westport 135 Yacht Series
Megayacht News 2021 Logo (White)

Footer

Connect with Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Terms and Conditions

© 2023 · RedHedInk LLC · Designed and Developed by AccessiCart