Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tom Perkins, basically retired after decades of successful investments in companies like Genentech and Compaq, has unveiled his latest toy: A $100 million yacht, The Maltese Falcon, a 287-foot vessel that evokes a 19th century clipper ship.

But this one brings nautical technology to new heights, reports Mercury News colleague Therese Poletti. Each of its three 187-foot carbon-fiber masts has five sails that can form one continuous sail.

Perkins, who made a splash earlier this year after penning a book, Sex and the Single Zillionaire, has been working on the yacht for five years.

It uses new hydraulics technology, to help with sail-alignment, developed by Insensys, an English company backed by 3i, a firm with offices in Menlo Park.

We'll update later with picture of the yacht.

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