At first glance, "Tamsen" looks like a typical Perini Navi - three decks, impressive displacement, ample beam, ketch rigging and unmistakable lines.
However, a closer look at the layout reveals special features that have never before been found on a sailing yacht. Perini Navi realised this unusual yacht according to the detailed wishes of a 15-strong, close-knit community of owners who call themselves the "Firestone family and friends".
A few things are different on board the "Tamsen" - the captain is also one of the owners, the bosun enthusiastically swings the cooking spoons in the galley, the guests do the washing up and the deck scrubbing is shared by the whole crew, just like the bridge watch. Everyone has a turn. In order to understand the yacht concept of the 52-metre ketch, it is necessary to go back a little in history, to 1976 to be precise.
Back then, Robert Firestone, a renowned psychologist and author, launched a project with far-reaching consequences. He bought the 26 metre long wooden schooner "Vltava" and planned a trip around the world - his crew consisted of eleven young people from friendly families. He handed over responsibility as captain to his then 16-year-old son Steve, who is now the main owner of "Tamsen".
"This two-year round-the-world trip had a decisive impact on the lives of everyone involved and welded us together as a group," says Steve. "We went on board as teenagers and came home as adults." The friendships and cohesion of the eleven was so great that marriage, children of their own and business relationships grew out of this community.
The passion for yachts and sailing also remained, and so the "Firestone family and friends" soon decided to buy a larger shared yacht. With the 46 metre long "Liberty" (see issue 2/1998), which they renamed "Tamsen", they found their first dream yacht.
After more than thirty years of sailing together, the Firestone clique decided in 2004 to build their first customised yacht, the new 52-metre "Tamsen".
