TAMSEN 171’ 9” (52.4m) Perini Navi Sailing Yacht for Sale

Northrop & Johnson is pleased to announce the 171’9” (52.4m) Perini Navi ketch TAMSEN is now offered for sale with Yacht Brokers Kevin Merrigan and Ed Dickinson, asking $19,500,000. Currently located in Savannah, GA, the 2007-built/2026-refit sailing yacht represents an opportunity to acquire a pedigree Perini Navi designed for serious bluewater cruising and long-term family ownership.

TAMSEN is much more than a performance sailing yacht; she is the continuation of a multi-generational family vision that began in 1973. That year, seven California families, inspired by clinical psychologist and artist Robert Firestone, pooled their resources to purchase an unfinished schooner, Vltava, creating an environment designed to foster resilience and responsibility. The defining moment came with a circumnavigation that began in 1976, during which 11 teenagers served as crew. Known as the Firestone Family and Friends, the group carried that ethos forward through successive yachts before finally culminating in TAMSEN.

When Perini Navi naval architect Franco Romani first met the yacht’s 15 owners in late 2004, he anticipated competing visions. Instead, he found a unified brief. The result is a 2007-built ketch with a traditional aesthetic and wide-open communal spaces designed to encourage interaction while preserving privacy. Today, the culture remains intact: her ownership lifecycle has been hands-on, collaborative, and deeply engaged.

Built with a steel hull and aluminum superstructure, TAMSEN is classed ABS A1 Yachting Services, AMS, compliant with the UK Mega Yacht Code under 500GT, and features a rig classed to Germanischer Lloyds standards. She carries 1,170 square meters of sail area across 51-meter and 41-meter aluminum masts with carbon electric furling booms, and a rig redesign reduced weight by three tons. Powered by twin 720kW Caterpillar C32 engines with controllable pitch propellers, she cruises at 14 knots with a 15-knot top speed.

A comprehensive 2018–2019 refit included a full rig removal and rebuild, complete Awlgrip repaint, and main engine top-end rebuilds. She completed her ABS Special Class Survey in 2022 and is currently in a 2026 yard period featuring structural steel renewal forward, Kongsberg pitch control upgrades, DEIF generator upgrades, and a new Doyle Stratis sail inventory.

Interiors by Bernardo Chichi, Perini Navi and SFA Design include a full-beam main salon forward, formal dining for 12, and a main deck galley with two U-shaped work areas, centerline island, and dinette integrated into the living space. She accommodates 15 guests in five cabins, including a full-beam master suite aft, with accommodations for up to 13 crew. Exterior highlights include a 47-square-meter flybridge with a spa pool, seating for 12 in the stern cockpit, and recessed wells for two 25’ (7.4m) Pascoe tenders. She was the Winner of the 2008 Showboat Award for Best Sailing Yacht over 45m.

To arrange a viewing or learn more, please contact Kevin Merrigan or Ed Dickinson. For media requests and photos of this yacht, contact N&J’s press team.

If you’re interested in buying or selling a yacht, contact the professional team of yacht brokers at Northrop & Johnson today. As a world-leading yacht brokerage, Northrop & Johnson offers access to thousands of luxury yachts for sale around the world, including private yachts not publicly advertised for sale. From yacht sales to new construction, contact our team of yacht brokers to get the results you need.