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I had already researched into the DynaRig in the early
eighties, so when the Falcon project came along, we had quite a lot of
documentation already on hand. Although the original concept was developed in
the sixties to provide additional propulsion for oceangoing commercial ships, it
wasn’t until the advent of composite rigs that the theory could be put into
practice. The forces acting on the 2,400 square meters of sail are in line with
conventional sail plans, but normal rigs don’t include freestanding masts
that have to rotate with the sails deployed. Only carbon fiber can provide that
sort of torsional stiffness combined with light weight.
 Gerard Dijkstra. Photograph by Justin Ratcliffe. (Click image to enlarge)
Our first step was to build a one-sixth scale model of a single
mast and sail, which we mounted on a small sloop to test the sail-handling
system manually. Then we tank-tested a one-thirtieth scale model at the
Delft University of Technology (in the Netherlands) and in the wind tunnel
at the Wolfson Institute in England. Finally, a full-scale test rig was
built at the Yildiz shipyard that we used to fine-tune all aspects of the
design. The main challenge was not the concept itself, but with the
detailing, such as how to wrap the foot and head of the sails around the rollers
without ripping them, and how to maintain equal tension on the clews. The
solutions to these problems were also thanks to Perini Navi’s experience with
sail handling and control systems. The other issue was that we were working with
an existing hull with limited space for machinery.
 The relaxation area on the main deck aft of the mizzenmast. Photograph by Simon Mcbride. (Click image to enlarge)
To spread the torque generated by each mast, the hydraulic
motors that rotate the masts had to be anchored to the hull structure and a
deeper keel added to improve the righting moment. The speed of this rotation was
recently increased so the yacht can now tack more quickly, in less than a
minute. We were surprised at how readily she tacks in light winds, perhaps even
more easily than in heavier airs because the wind force against the rigs, when
backed, increases with the square of the wind velocity.
Top: The stools around the bar. Bottom: A graphic shot of the
exterior stairwell from the upper deck. Photography by Justin Ratcliffe. (Click images to enlarge)
Every yacht is a compromise. You could improve some aspects of
the Falcon’s design, but that would mean taking away others. I think Tom
would agree that the compromises here work well and meet his requirements. The
fact that we have optimized the centuries-old square rig shows how rarely naval
architects come up with completely new ideas. I’m always conscious of following
in my predecessors’ footsteps, and it’s only thanks to new design tools and
materials that we can now go that one step further. As innovative as she is,
The Maltese Falcon is primarily the result of this historical process of concept development.
KEN FREIVOKH,
designer
In the same way that a Bentley Continental or Bugatti Veyron is more than just a car,
The Maltese Falcon is more than just a yacht. It is a sailing machine—a
very high-tech, comfortable and elegant one, but nonetheless a transportation
machine. One of the guiding principles governing the interior design was to
ensure that the revolutionary rig and sail mechanism were reflected
internally.
Because of this, we looked to highlight the technological
content and make a feature of the main- and mizzenmasts. With the latter, we
designed the architectural "spider" support for the top bearing, whereas the
mainmast running through the atriums of the main and lower decks is the single
most striking interior feature.
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