Tom Perkins' Yacht, Now Slightly Used

Tom Perkins' extravagant sailing yacht, the Maltese Falcon, seems to have taken a bit of a bruising during its maiden voyage into the San Francisco Bay.

During a race to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society last weekend, a competing sailor in a more modest vessel ran straight into the side of the great Maltese near Treasure Island, leaving a gash and awestruck crew members behind as it sailed off into the distance:

Yes. Some unfortunate sailor lost control of his 40-foot sloop and ran headfirst into a 289-foot, $160 million super yacht that was once the subject of its very own 60 Minutes segment.

It hurts, but this hurts worse: former venture capitalist Tom Perkins has been trying to sell his beloved Maltese Falcon for many months during what are proving to be the worst possible economic conditions for anything with a $160 million price tag. The yacht hosted 25 V.I.P. donors for the race.

It's unclear just who is at fault in the fender-bender. According to a photo shoot of the entire episode, the U.S. Coast Guard eventually caught up with the culprit.

It's also unknown if the new advertisement for the Maltese Falcon will reflect the recent damage or how much it will cost to repair.

A slightly banged up, $159 million yacht, anyone? Anyone?

by Megan Barnett

Photo Credit: Lyonsimaging.com