The Maltese Falcon will cross the Atlantic from Gran Canaria to Antigua, turning one of its seasonal passages into an experience open to guests for the first time. Ten days at sea aboard one of the world’s most recognisable sailing yachts, with one key difference: this time, the journey will begin long before reaching the Caribbean.
In December 2026, the 88-metre sailing yacht will depart from the Canary Islands on a full charter, reserved exclusively for one private group. Departure is scheduled between 1 and 5 December, followed by around ten days at sea and the option to extend the experience for up to three days in Antigua.
The experience is part of Jumeirah Privé and gives guests access to a side of yachting that usually remains outside the charter experience. After all, the Maltese Falcon already knows this route very well.
When the passage becomes the journey
For years, the Maltese Falcon has crossed the Atlantic during its seasonal passages between the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. These long voyages are part of the rhythm of international yachting: once the summer cruising season comes to an end, the yacht heads towards Caribbean waters for the winter.
Normally, these passages are experienced mainly by the crew. This December, however, guests will be able to board in the Canary Islands and accompany the yacht all the way to Antigua. That completely changes the perspective. Rather than a short sailing trip within a holiday, this will be a true transatlantic crossing. For days, the coastline will disappear beyond the horizon and life on board will follow the route, the wind and the conditions at sea.
It is also an unusual way to arrive in the Caribbean. Antigua will not be reached after a few hours on a plane, but will appear at the end of a journey across the ocean. And it is the yacht chosen for this crossing that gives the experience its particular significance.
Why the Maltese Falcon?
When the Maltese Falcon was launched in 2006, its profile was already unmistakable. Three masts, large square sails and a silhouette very different from that of traditional sailing yachts quickly made it one of the defining images of contemporary yachting.
Built by Perini Navi for American entrepreneur Tom Perkins, the yacht was born from an ambitious challenge: to make sail handling simpler on an 88-metre yacht, avoiding the complexity that a conventional rig of these proportions would have required. The solution was the DynaRig, which remains its most distinctive feature today. The three carbon masts can rotate, while the sails are deployed and adjusted through an automated system. This makes it possible to control an extensive sail area while reducing the complexity of the manoeuvres.
Ten days on board
Crossing an ocean also means experiencing a yacht differently. There are no tenders taking guests ashore for dinner or itineraries built around a new destination every day. For around ten days, everything happens on board. The Maltese Falcon can accommodate up to 12 guests and, for this crossing, the entire yacht will be reserved for a single group. Spaces that would normally accompany stops and excursions during a conventional charter instead become part of everyday life at sea.
One of the most recognisable interior spaces is the large atrium extending vertically across three decks, where the staircase wraps around the main mast, bringing one of the yacht’s defining structural elements into the interior. Life during the crossing will also include gastronomic and wellness experiences. On board there is a gym and massage room, while the flybridge provides a large outdoor area for relaxing in the sun. In the evening, one of the sails can become the screen for an open-air cinema. In the middle of the Atlantic, details such as these take on a different meaning. Rather than simply completing a day spent elsewhere, they become part of the way time at sea is experienced.
Twenty years of history, still under sail
Twenty years have passed since the Maltese Falcon was launched. Since then, the yacht has crossed oceans, changed ownership and undergone a major refit. The superyacht world has continued to evolve around it, yet its three masts and square sails remain instantly recognisable.
The crossing to Antigua offers an opportunity to tell its story without turning it into a museum piece. The Maltese Falcon continues to sail, and an ocean passage brings the design choice that made it famous back into focus. When it leaves Gran Canaria this December, guests will therefore be boarding more than a famous yacht. They will have the opportunity to accompany the Maltese Falcon on one of the long passages that have been part of its life for years.
