Photos: Superyacht sets sail

The Maltese Falcon, a $100 million yacht that the designers claim is the largest and fastest personal sailboat in the world, formally set sail in Italy on July 14.

Built for venture capitalist Tom Perkins, the 87.5-meter yacht sports three 57-meter tall masts and each mast has 6 yards from which the sails hang. This design gives it a slight resemblance to a clipper ship.

The masts on the Maltese Falcon rotate to make the ship more aerodynamic. No word on how many cup holders are onboard.

The masts on the ship were designed by Insensys. The company inserted sensors into the composite mast to give the crew information on the forces on the mast and prevent the structures from being pushed to the breaking point.

The Maltese Falcon is said to be the world's fastest personal sailboat. It's owned by Tom Perkins of Kleiner, Perkins Caufield & Byers fame. Note the flag. The ship was built and tested partly in Turkey.