The Maltese Falcon, the world’s largest and fastest private sailing yacht and which has called Malta its home port, has been put up for sale for a staggering €115 million.

The owner of the 88-metre superyacht, former HP board member and centi-millionaire Tom Perkins, told The Wall Street Journal this week he was selling the yacht, less than two years since she made her maiden voyage from Turkey to Malta, because, “My pleasure comes from the technical and aesthetic challenges of new yacht projects more than from cruising aboard the finished boat. I would now like to indulge my interest in ‘sports’ submarines and maybe to build a specialised boat to use as a sub carrier.”

The superyacht, hailed as the world’s most spectacular, made its maiden voyage to Grand Harbour in July 2006, where she holds a 25-year dedicated berth at the Grand Harbour Marina.

The Maltese Falcon was launched in 2006 by Perini Navi Istanbul and has won several prizes since, including four Showboats International Awards, three World Superyacht Awards and the Award for Best superyacht over 36 metres from the International Superyacht Society.

The yacht, which is being discreetly marketed, could end up fetching up to e150 million. The yacht, which cost US$100 million to build, looks to give a sizeable return even on the initial asking price of €115 million (US$181 million).

The yacht is currently sailing in the South Pacific and is said to ask a charter price of between €325,000 and €335,000 per week, plus expenses.

The yacht’s most outstanding feature is undoubtedly its three enormous, free standing and rotating carbon fibre masts. Each mast holds five square sails that take just six minutes to open.

Sensors on the sails detect and deliver to the bridge readings such as wind, while the yachts hi-tech computer system controls speed and all sailing controls, making it possible for a single person to pilot the yacht.

Both the interior and exterior of Maltese Falcon were designed by Ken Freivokh, with naval architecture by Gerard Dijkstra & Partners in cooperation with Perini Navi.