On July 22 a minor collision occurred between two of the world’s most famous super yachts which are both regular visitors to Palma’s Club de Mar, the Lady Moura and Venus, in the Bay of Naples. Lady Moura, a 104.6-metre yacht owned by Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego, collided with Venus, a 78.2m yacht commissioned by the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and now owned by his widow, Laurene Powell Jobs.
Now, Venus is back in Malllorca and the patched up bow can be seen in these images taken by Sail Trip Mallorca. Jobs’ yacht launched in 2012, just a year after the Apple founder’s death from pancreatic cancer. Jobs collaborated with French designer Philippe Starck over four years to create a ship that matched the minimalist aesthetic of an Apple product. Although he never set foot on deck, the ship ended up being one of Jobs’ final passion projects, according to Vanity Fair.
“It was not a yacht that Steve and I were constructing, we were embarked on a philosophical action, implemented according to a quasi-religious process. We formed a single brain with four lobes,” Starck told Vanity Fair. Lady Moura was the ninth largest private yacht when she was launched in 1990 for USD$200 million (equivalent to $466 million in 2023) but has moved down the list in 2021 to number 48. She was owned by Saudi Arabian businessman, Nasser Al-Rashid but bought by a Mexican businessman in 2021 from yacht broker Camper & Nicholsons for USD$125 million (equivalent to $141 million in 2023).
Lady Moura has hosted several notable personalities, including George H. W. Bush and his wife Barbara. Lady Moura ran aground in 2007 during the weekend of the Cannes Film Festival.
A statement was issued regarding the collission: “The statement read: “Lady Moura anchored in the Bay of Naples at a depth of 40 metres with seven shackles of chain deployed, which is the minimum required for safe anchoring under the given conditions. Several hours later, Venus arrived at the anchorage and seemingly misjudged the length of the chain that Lady Moura had in the water.
“Subsequently, a violent squall with winds of 50-55 knots from an unexpected direction – different from the prevailing forecasts – caused the impact. Despite numerous efforts by Lady Moura’s crew to alert the Venus’ crew by blowing the whistle and hailing on the radio, it appears that the bridge of the Venus was unmanned. Neither vessel dragged anchor.”
According to Boat International the statment concluded that damages to both yachts were minimal and cosmetic and that the situation was “amicably and professionally” resolved.