The two mega yachts that are among the world’s richest and most admired, the Black Pearl and Lady Moura, began the season in Mallorca. The Mediterranean sailing season has drawn attention as the Black Pearl, a 106-meter marvel with three mobile carbon masts at 70 meters, stood as one of the most advanced sailing yachts in the world and the second largest of its kind never built, docking in front of Molinar in Palma Bay yesterday and at the outer quay of Club de Mar this Tuesday. Its imposing silhouette drew every passerby. The Lady Moura, owned by Mexican billionaire since 2021 Ricardo Salinas Pliego, entered Mallorca on Tuesday via Alcúdia, anchored off Sa Foradada the previous night, and spent Tuesday at Illa d’en Salas in Portals Nous.
The Black Pearl is associated with the Russian oligarch Oleg Burlakov until his death from Covid in 2021. Mallorca has welcomed the vessel for a third time, driven by the owner’s personal whim. The former Soviet air force officer behind its creation brings extensive knowledge of ships, aircraft, space design, and a long-standing interest in the oil industry and cement production.
Burlakov not only participated in the ship’s construction and design but also pursued energy efficiency as a central goal. He initiated a project in 2010 and completed it in 2018 with the ship delivered to him. The Black Pearl features a hybrid drivetrain and a large battery bank. When sailing, the propellers spin backward to generate up to 480 kilowatts of power for onboard use and storage, enabling long-term silent operation on the water. With favorable winds, it can cross the Atlantic using zero fossil fuel. Its electric range reaches 17.5 nautical miles and 30 nautical miles when underway.
Maritime publication Boat International notes that the interiors remain a tightly kept secret, but designer Ken Freivokh revealed plans for how the rooms would be arranged, reflecting the former owner’s fondness for antiques by placing a Napoleon Bonaparte piano within the ship. The layout includes a main hall, a spacious private study, and a cabinet retained by the owner. The accommodation comprises two double cabins, a large guest and family cabin, a gym, a shopping center, an adjacent tasting room capable of housing 4,000 bottles, a Beach Club, a cinema, a hangar, and a limousine on the upper deck. The ship is currently part of Burlakov’s heirs.
Lady Moura returns to what used to be her home. The Lady Moura has made a second Mallorca visit after being acquired by the Mexican billionaire in 2020, Ricardo Salinas Pliego, and by Saudi businessman Nasser Al-Rashid, one of the world’s wealthiest individuals. The vessel measures 105 meters in length and was purchased for approximately 130 million euros. Built in 1990 at the Blohm + Voss shipyards in Germany, it set a standard for luxury yachting and was once listed as the ninth largest yacht ever built when royal patrons could afford such vessels.
There is a story surrounding the boat. It has long been celebrated as a symbol of immense wealth. The owner, Nasser Al-Rashid, is linked to Mouna Ayoub, born in 1957 in Kuwait, who grew up in a Lebanese Catholic family. At 18, while a waitress in Paris, she met Al-Rashid’s advisor, the late King Fahd, and became one of the country’s most influential business figures. They married in 1979 and divorced in 1996. In Mallorca during the 1990s, Lady Moura served as a floating palace for Al-Rashid, always anchored at Club de Mar and described as a gilded cage at the end of the marriage. This week, Mouna Ayoub, renowned as the world’s largest haute couture collector, was reported to hold a net worth of around 300 million dollars.
Both vessels exemplify the enduring appeal of superyachts in the Balearic sea, drawing enthusiasts, investors, and industry observers who watch the evolving landscape of luxury maritime design nearby the Spanish coastline. The ongoing fascination lies not only in their size but in the innovations that push the boundaries of what a yacht can be, from silent electric propulsion to exquisitely curated interiors and the enduring stories of ownership and history that accompany each voyage (citation: Boat International, 2023; market reports on luxury yachts).