Maltese Falcon’s extraordinary square rig with her 15 sails and three free-standing, rotating carbon fibre masts has been such a success that builders, Perini Navi, are planning to rig a smaller yacht with a similar system.

The proposed 64 metre yacht will step just two masts but they will be the same length as Falcon’s – 58m – and could use to same tooling which is still at the special plant in Tuzla near Istanbul, set up by Falcon’s owner Tom Perkins. Perini Navi were surprised at the high level of interest in Maltese Falcon and the so-called Falcon Rig at the Monaco Yacht Show and report that a number of clients have expressed interest. The success of Maltese Falcon’s rig has encouraged further interest.