yacht cujo sinks

Yacht that Princess Diana spent last summer on with Dodi Al-Fayed sinks to bottom of Mediterranean

Cujo, which made front-page news around the world back in the summer of 1997 when Diana was entertained on board a year after her divorce from Prince Charles, went down in 2500m (8200ft) of water.

Thursday 3 August 2023 17:00, UK

A motor yacht used by Princess Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Al-Fayed on their final summer holiday in the South of France before they died in a Paris car crash has sunk.

The 19m (62ft) Cujo went down 21 miles (35km) off Beaulieu-sur-Mer after sending out a mayday call last Saturday.

The seven people on board the luxury vessel, which was taking on water, were rescued by teams from Antibes before it sank to the bottom of the Mediterranean at a depth of 2500m (8200ft).

They were safely returned to shore.

The area was monitored for pollution as the boat sank with 7,000 litres of diesel in its tanks.

Cujo made front page news around the world back in the summer of 1997 when Al-Fayed entertained Diana onboard, a year after her divorce from Prince Charles, which was finalised in August 1996.

That summer, Diana was also photographed on Sokar, the yacht then owned by al Fayed's billionaire father Mohamed.

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It had previously been named Jonikal.

Cujo was built in Italy in 1972 for businessman John von Neumann who told the Italian Baglietto shipyard that he wanted the world's fastest motor yacht.

She was fitted with two 18-cylinder engines giving her a top speed of 42 knots.

Van Neumann then sold the boat to the son of Saudi businessman and arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi and he sold her on to his cousin, al Fayed.

Cujo was frequently moored off St Tropez, a famous celebrity hangout on the French Riviera, with guests including Clint Eastwood, Tony Curtis and Bruce Willis.

Following the death of Diana and Al-Fayed in central Paris on 31 August 1997, Cujo fell into disrepair.

She was decommissioned in 1999, and spent years in storage, before being restored by new owners.

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Boat of the Week: Meet ‘Cujo,’ the 80-Foot Yacht Where Late Movie Producer Dodi Al-Fayed Once Wooed Princess Diana

The couple spent some of their final summer cruising around saint-tropez aboard this fast, military-looking yacht., howard walker, howard walker's most recent stories.

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For a few brief weeks back in the summer of 1997, Cujo was the most famous boat in the world.

Not because of her intimidating military lines, or blistering 40-knot performance. It’s because Diana, Princess of Wales, hung out aboard in Saint-Tropez with the boat’s owner, and romantic partner Dodi Al-Fayed.

Countless paparazzi shots show the once future Queen of England on Cujo‘s narrow sidedecks, soaking up the Mediterranean sun. By the end of August that year, both Diana and Dodi would be dead after that fatal car wreck in Paris.

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Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Fayed spent some of their final summer cruising around Saint-Tropez aboard Cujo .  Courtesy Patrick Bar-Nice Matin/AP Images

Yet this rakish 80-footer was a headliner long before Diana stepped on board. Her first owner was Austrian Johnny Von Neumann, an entrepreneur, playboy and passionate sports-car racer who became the largest Porsche-VW distributor in the US.

In 1972, Von Neumann commissioned the Italian shipyard Baglietto to build him a boat with one goal: It had to go fast—faster than any other motoryacht on the water. To deliver, the shipyard installed twin 54-liter V-18 turbo diesels delivering a combined 2,700 horsepower.

Flat out, Cujo —said to be an ancient Indian word meaning “unstoppable force”—could easily top 40 knots, or 46 mph. Von Neumann blasted up and down the Cote d’Azur for a few years before ordering an even faster Baglietto—this time with jet turbine power. He sold Cujo to arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi who, at the time, was reckoned to be the richest man in the world.

The fast, military exterior gives way to an almost old-fashioned cockpit with wood cabinets and leather seats.  Courtesy Simon Kidston

Khashoggi eventually passed the boat on to his nephew Dodi Al-Fayed, who immediately sent her to the CARM shipyard in Lavagna, Italy, for a full refit.

Back in Saint-Tropez, and moored in her reserved spot on the town’s main quay outside the famed Le Sénéquier restaurant, Fayed would invite many of his Hollywood friends for a cruise. During the summers, everyone from Clint Eastwood, Tony Curtis, Bruce Willis and one-time girlfriend, Brooke Shields, were seen aboard.

Following Dodi and Diana’s death, Cujo quickly fell into disrepair. Decommissioned in 1999, she was hauled out at the CARM yard and spent several years in storage.

The main salon is smaller than many contemporary 80-foot motoryachts, but few other boats its size have the same 40-knots-plus top end.  Courtesy Simon Kidston

The boat was eventually rescued by Dodi’s cousin Moody Al-Fayed, who spent over $1 million bringing her back to life. Part of the work included uprating those massive diesels to deliver 1,650 hp each.

Now fast forward to February last year. After two summers of cruising Cujo around Sardinia and Italy’s Amalfi coast, Moody decided to sell. Strangely, he entered the boat in the Retromobile classic car auction in Paris.

That’s where well-known British car collector, buyer, seller and restorer Simon Kidston appeared. Kidston had spied Cujo in the Retromobile auction catalog, read that it was being sold by his old school-friend Fayed, and decided to bid.

The 1972 Baglietto has innovative features like the amidships helm and social area, and two sunbeds on the foredeck.  Courtesy Simon Kidston

“On the day of the auction, I was tied up with clients so asked a colleague to go down and take a look. I told him that if it was going cheaply, put in a bid for a bit of fun,” Kidston tells Robb Report .

“The bidding opened at just 150,000 Euros—that’s around $165,000. My colleague bid 160,000 Euros,” says Kidston. “Trouble was, no one else bid. The hammer went down and I had bought a boat. The feeling was a mix of excitement, tinged with terror.”

Unfortunately, just as Simon took delivery of Cujo at Lavagna, where she was moored, Europe was starting to lock down with the coronavirus pandemic.

The internal helm station is outfitted with modern electronics, but in a nod to its historic past, the wheel is definitely old school.  Courtesy Simon Kidston

But he did get to take her out during a video shoot in and around Portofino  for his YouTube channel Kidston Productions, where the boat meets up with Simon’s own ’70s Lamborghini Miura supercar. Entitled A Portofino Affair, the footage of Cujo at speed is breathtaking.

“She has immense presence,” said Kidston. “No boat of its size commands that kind of attention when she comes into a harbor.” Especially an Italian harbor when nervous local boat owners think she’s with the financial police.

“As you’d expect, those engines have tons and tons of performance,” Kidston adds. “We’ve seen 41 knots. But they have a very different sound than I was expecting; instead of a roar from the exhausts, there’s this amazing whistle from the turbos.”

The diesel engines were upgraded from the original 2,700 to 3,300 horsepower.  Courtesy Simon Kidston

While Kidston and his family had planned to cruise the Med this summer, the car enthusiast received an offer he couldn’t refuse.

“A young member of a prominent Italian business family—he’s 30 years old—had seen Cujo in Lavagna, fallen in love with her and asked if she was for sale,” he says. “He took delivery last week, just in time for his birthday.”

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World famous yacht that Princess Diana had final summer holiday on sinks

The world-famous celebrity yacht enjoyed by Princess Diana on her final summer holiday in the south of France has sunk to the bottom of the sea.

Cujo, once also a favourite of Hollywood superstars, disappeared below the Mediterranean waves after hitting an unidentified object off Beaulieu-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera, on Saturday.

Seven people on board were rescued following the accident, but the boat ended up at a depth of almost 2500m (8200ft), said local police.

“The skipper of the Cujo issued a Mayday,” said one officer. “His ship was sinking due to a leak.

“Rescue boats were sent from Antibes, and, after making sure everyone was safe, gendarmes detected a significant water leak at the level of the starboard front hull.

“Her owner had activated the pumps and kept the engines running, but this didn’t stop the boat sinking.”

Salvage launches also arrived, but could not save the boat sinking, around 18 nautical miles off the coast.

All of those on board, including the Cujo’s Italian owner, were placed in a rescue boat, and taken back to shore without injury.

Reports about Cujo – an Indian word that means ‘Unstoppable Force’ – dominated the media in August 1997, when it was owned by Diana’s boyfriend, Dodi Al-Fayed.

The multi-millionaire film producer had spent some £1million refitting the boat, and wooed Diana onboard, as the world’s media looked on.

This was shortly before the couple died in a car crash in central Paris caused by their drunk driver.

That summer, Diana was also photographed on Sokar, the yacht then owned by Al-Fayed’s father, retail billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed.

Cujo was built in Italy in 1972 for businessman John von Neumann after he told Italy’s Baglietto shipyard that he wanted the world’s fastest motoryacht.

She was fitted with two 18-cylinder engines that ensured she had a top speed of 42 knots.

Following the death of Princes Diana and Mr Al-Fayed, Cujo fell into disrepair.

She was decommissioned in 1999, and spent years in storage, before being restored by new owners.

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Princess Diana’s Former Yacht That She Vacationed on with Boyfriend Dodi Fayed Sinks in France

All seven passengers were rescued after the superyacht, dubbed Cujo, sank beneath the Mediterranean Sea on July 29

Natalia Senanayake is an Editorial Assistant, Lifestyle at PEOPLE. She covers all things travel and home, from celebrities' luxury mansions to breaking travel news.

Best Image/BACKGRID; Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes

Princess Diana ’s former yacht that she enjoyed her last summer vacation on before her death has sunk off the coast of France, according to The Independent . 

The boat, dubbed Cujo , was frequented by the late princess and her boyfriend at the time, Dodi Fayed , in the summer of 1997 before they both died in a car crash in late August that year. 

All seven passengers on board were rescued in time before the vessel sank below the Mediterranean Sea on Saturday, July 29. An officer said that the “ship was sinking due to a leak” after it allegedly hit an unidentified object on the French Riviera, The Independent reports. 

Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes

Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes, a branch of the French military, released a statement addressing the incident on their official Facebook page . They state the Antibes Nautical Brigade first responded to a distress call at 12:30 p.m. local time for a yacht located 35 kilometers off the coast of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, France. 

When they arrived at the scene 45 minutes later, the ship was already sinking and the cabins had begun to flood. The seven passengers were already transferred to a life raft and examined for injuries before being taken back to shore. 

Princess Diana and Fayed enjoyed spending time together aboard the 20-meter superyacht that first launched in 1972, especially around the Italian Riviera, according to Boat International . 

The pair first met at a polo match in 1986 in which Fayed was playing against Diana’s then-husband, Prince Charles . Diana and Fayed didn’t connect romantically until nearly 10 years later when Fayed’s father, Mohamed al Fayed, invited her and her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry , to vacation at their villa in St. Tropez, France.  

Before Diana’s romance with the film producer began to develop, the Prince and Princess of Wales had finalized their divorce in August 1996. Diana announced that she agreed to her husband's request for divorce earlier that year in February. 

A representative of the princess released a statement at the time: "The Princess of Wales has agreed to Prince Charles's request for a divorce. The Princess will continue to be involved in all decisions relating to the children and will remain at Kensington Palace with offices in St. James's Palace . The Princess of Wales will retain the title and be known as Diana, Princess of Wales."

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Diana died at the age of 36 after going into cardiac arrest from internal injuries she sustained during a high-speed car crash in Paris, France . Dodi and the car’s driver, Henri Paul, were killed instantly in the fatal accident. 

Reports indicate the car was traveling at 121 mph in a narrow tunnel along the Seine River in an effort to escape paparazzi tailing them on motorcycles. It was also reported that Paul was legally drunk when the crash occurred.

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Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed’s former yacht sinks off the coast of France

Before their untimely deaths in the late summer of 1997, Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed spent a few brief paparazzi-festered weeks aboard Cujo, a 65-foot, military-style super-yacht. As Robb Report described it, the boat was once the most famous in the world thanks to her high-profile passengers. Now, a little over a quarter of a century later, the infamous boat has sunk off the coast of France , reports The Independent .

According to a Facebook post from the Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes, a division of the French military, passengers issued a distress call around 12:30 local time on July 29. A little under an hour later, a rescue boat arrived, finding the vessel’s bow already partially submerged. “The cabins of the yacht were already flooded, and only a few suitcases located in the kitchen and on the deck could be retrieved by the gendarmes,” reads the statement. The seven passengers who were on board had already evacuated and were safely on a nearby lifeboat. Rescuers and passengers then quickly left the area, as the boat sank 2,500 feet to the ocean’s floor. The cause of the accident was not shared; however, according to Boat International , sources claimed that the ship hit an unknown object floating near the center of the hull.

The impressive yacht was originally launched in 1972, commissioned by its first owner John von Neumann. According to Robb Report, Von Neumann hired Italian shipyard Baglietto to build him a boat that was “faster than any other motoryacht on the water.” During its maiden voyage, Cujo had largely achieved this goal thanks to its twin 54-liter V-18 turbo diesel engines, which provided 2,700 horsepower and allowed it to easily hit 46 miles per hour. Von Neumann eventually sold the boat to arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, who later passed the boat to Dodi Fayed, his nephew.

At one point, the vessel was among the fastest in the world.

Though Princess Diana was among the most notable guests onboard—largely fueled by vicious tabloid coverage—other high-profile passengers hosted by Fayed included Clint Eastwood, Tony Curtis, Bruce Willis, and Brooke Shields. In addition to jaunts on Cujo, the sensationalized couple also spent time on superyacht Jonikal , which most recently sold in June of 2023. Following the passing of Di and Fayed, Cujo fell into disrepair and decommissioned in 1999. After many years in storage , Fayed’s cousin Moody Al-Fayed purchased the vessel and brought it back to life. He later sold the boat to Simon Kidston, a British car collector and restorer and the last-reported owner of the vessel.

This article originally featured on Architecturaldigest.com

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Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed ‘Love Boat’ Sinks to the Bottom of the Sea

The yacht that propelled Diana and Dodi’s relationship into the headlines—and arguably set in motion the sequence of events that led to her death—has sunk in the Mediterranean.

Royalist Correspondent

Michel Dufour/WireImage/ Getty Images

It was once an iconic part of the Princess Diana story, but the yacht on which Diana spent her final summer partying with Dodi Fayed now lies at the bottom of the Mediterranean.

The boat, Cujo , sank after apparently hitting a mystery object off the coast of Beaulieu-sur-Mer in the South of France, the Times of London reported.

Now resting in a watery grave some 7,000 feet beneath the surface, Cujo was once a byword for glamor when it was the floating playground of the film producer and playboy Dodi Fayed, the son of the billionaire Harrods owner Mohammed Fayed.

It was on board Cujo, off the coast of St. Tropez in the summer of 1997, that Dodi and Diana were first photographed together. The pictures on board sparked tabloid rumors that they were a couple, which built into “love boat” hysteria as the summer progressed.

“St. Trop” was swiftly swarmed by an army of paparazzi photographers and at the end of August, the couple decamped to the Fayed-owned Ritz hotel in Paris. The paps followed and it was from here that the couple set off on their fateful last journey in a speeding car driven by a drunk chauffeur, which then crashed in an underpass , killing Diana, Dodi, and their driver, Henri Paul.

The Times reports on the boat’s “long and glamorous history” saying that it was built in Italy in 1972 (long before Stephen King would give the same name to a monstrous St. Bernard in one of his novels) for a millionaire Porsche dealer who declared he wanted the world’s fastest yacht. Cujo, which could do 40 knots per hour as a result, was subsequently sold to the son of arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, reputedly the world’s richest man at the time. He then sold it to his cousin, Dodi Fayed.

Fayed hosted glamorous guests such as Brooke Shields, Clint Eastwood, Tony Curtis, and Bruce Willis on the boat, but, after his death, the Times reports, the yacht fell into disrepair.

It then sold at auction to its current owner, a wealthy Italian, for $250,000, in 2020. The owner was at the helm when the boat sank, the Times said, citing French media reports which also suggested the boat had “regular maintenance problems.”

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How did Cujo sink? Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed's luxury love yacht plunges 8,200 feet into the Mediterranean

FRENCH RIVIERA, FRANCE: The luxurious yacht Princess Diana and her alleged partner Dodi Al-Fayed were seen together on during their final summer sank to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea on Saturday. Cujo, also known as the "love boat" of Diana and Dodi, has sunk after hitting an unidentified object. Following the disaster, seven of the passengers were saved, but the boat sank to a depth of about 8,200 feet (2,500 meters), per local authorities. According to Daily Mail , the event took place off the southern French coast of Beaulieu-sur-Mer on July 29.

Aside from Princess Diana, Cujo has encountered many other famous people in its 50-year history. Dodi Fayed, a film producer and the son of business magnate Mohammed Fayed, utilized it often to host events. Actors including Tony Curtis, Clint Eastwood, Brooke Shields, and Bruce Willis were among those who joined Dodi on the boat. Diana and Dodi were first spotted together in St Tropez in the summer of 1997, which led to suspicions that they were dating.

How did Cujo sink?

The place where Princess Diana took one of her last shots, Cujo, has now perished, more than 20 years after her tragic death. The owner of Cujo is an Italian who lives on the Riviera. After colliding with an unknown object around 18 miles off the French Riviera town of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Cujo disappeared beneath the Mediterranean's waves.

According to the Daily Mail, local police claimed that "the skipper of the Cujo issued a mayday. His ship was sinking due to a leak. Rescue boats were sent from Antibes and, after making sure everyone was safe, gendarmes detected a significant water leak at the level of the starboard front hull. Her owner had activated the pumps and kept the engines running, but this didn’t stop the boat sinking."

Cujo's history

According to The Independent, the ancient word "Cujo" means "unstoppable force." Cujo was built in Italy in 1972 for entrepreneur John von Neumann, who told Italy's Baglietto shipyard that he wished for the world's fastest motor yacht. Cujo had two 18-cylinder engines installed, allowing her to reach a top speed of 42 knots. Eventually, the world's richest armaments dealer Adnan Khashoggi's son purchased the boat from Neumann after which he sold it to Dodi Fayed, his cousin.

Diana and her producer boyfriend Dodi were photographed on board Cujo in 1997, merely a few weeks before their deadly car accident in Paris on August 31, making Cujo infamous. The couple's first photographs together taken on the opulent boat sparked a tabloid hysteria that eventually led to the princess' death. Cujo deteriorated after the deaths of Princes Diana and Dodi and was purchased by its current owner for $250,000 at auction in 2020. According to French accounts, Cujo had ongoing maintenance issues and was not in excellent shape when it sank, as per New York Post.

Princess Diana & Dodi Al-Fayed's Love Yacht 'Cujo' Meets Grim Fate Nearly 26 Years After Their Deaths

Princess Diana's relationship with Dodi Al-Fayed has always been met with a great deal of interest and curiosity from royal watchers around the globe. After  Diana's divorce from then-Prince Charles , she and Al-Fayed began dating in 1997, the year they both tragically died. 

Diana and Al-Fayed would spend the summer months together, vacationing in the South of France just days before a car crash in Paris would claim their lives. According to the Daily Mail , the couple spent time on Dodi's luxury yacht named "Cujo." The boat ended up being a playground for the lovers, who were often photographed by paparazzi as they continued getting to know one another. 

Flash forward to 2023, and Cujo is no more. The yacht sunk to the bottom of the ocean on the French Riviera after hitting an object,  The Times of London reports. The incident was considered an emergency and a rescue for the seven people onboard ensued.

All 7 people on 'Cujo' were rescued

On July 29, a call was made by the boat's skipper about Cujo taking on water, local police said (via the Daily Mail). Thankfully, all seven people on board were rescued safely and were not harmed, despite the scary situation. Now, reports indicate that the boat is almost 8,000 feet below the surface of the ocean, resting in the Mediterranean Sea just about 18 miles off the coast of Nice, France. 

The yacht was built in Italy in 1972. Over the years, many celebrity guests, such as Clint Eastwood and Bruce Willis, have spent time on Cujo on the French Riviera.

And if you're wondering how Dodi Al-Fayed may have been able to afford such a pricey toy, his father Mohamed Al-Fayed is a billionaire who once owned Harrods Department Store. Dodi also worked as an executive producer on a number of movies during his time. He and Princess Diana both loved being on the ocean and spent much time onboard Cujo and Al-Fayed's father's yacht, "Jonikal." Now, however, one of the only remaining pieces of their love story has been lost to the depths. 

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Sinking of the world's most famous yacht: The 80-foot 'Cujo' used by Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed during the final holiday before their deaths goes down after 'hitting object' in the French Riviera

By Perkin Amalaraj and Peter Allen

Published: 10:23 EDT, 3 August 2023 | Updated: 10:24 EDT, 3 August 2023

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The world-famous celebrity motor-yacht enjoyed by Princess Diana on her final summer holiday in the South of France has sunk to the bottom of the sea.

The Cujo, once also a favorite of Hollywood superstars, disappeared below the Mediterranean waves after hitting an unidentified object some 18 miles off Beaulieu-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera, on Saturday.

Seven people on board were rescued following the accident, but the boat ended up at a depth of almost 2500m (8200ft), said local police. 'The skipper of the Cujo issued a Mayday,' said one officer. 'His ship was sinking due to a leak, Rescue boats were sent from Antibes, and, after making sure everyone was safe, gendarmes detected a significant water leak at the level of the starboard front hull. Her owner had activated the pumps and kept the engines running, but this didn't stop the boat sinking.'

Salvage launches also arrived, but could not save the boat from sinking. All of those on board, including the Cujo's Italian owner, were placed in a rescue boat, and taken back to shore without injury.

Reports about Cujo – an Indian word that means 'Unstoppable Force' – dominated the media in August 1997, when it was owned by Diana's boyfriend, Dodi Al-Fayed. The multi-millionaire film producer had spent some £1 million($1.2million) refitting the boat, and wooed Diana onboard as the world's media looked on. This was shortly before the couple died in a car crash in central Paris caused by their drunk driver.

That summer, Diana was also photographed on Sokar, the yacht then owned by Al-Fayed's father, retail billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed. It was previously named the 'Jonikal.' The pair were seen kissing and embracing on the deck less than a year after Diana and Prince Charles agreed their divorce.

Diana, then 36, was spotted strutting on the deck, making the most of the Mediterranean sun and her new romance. A snap of the former royal gazing into the distance from the yacht's diving board was one of the last pictures ever taken of Diana. Cujo was built in Italy in 1972 for businessman John von Neumann after he told Italy's Baglietto shipyard that he wanted the world's fastest motor-yacht. She was fitted with two 18-cylinder engines that ensured she had a top speed of 42 knots.

Van Neumann then sold the boat to the son of Adnan Khashoggi, the world's richest arms dealer, and he sold her on to his cousin, Dodi Al-Fayed. Cujo was frequently moored off St Tropez, the most famous celebrity hotspot on the Riviera, with celebrity guests including Clint Eastwood, Tony Curtis and Bruce Willis on board.

Following the death of Princes Diana and Mr Al-Fayed, Cujo fell into disrepair. She was decommissioned in 1999, and spent years in storage, before being restored by new owners. It was bought for pennies in 2020 by luxury vehicle dealer Simon Kidston.

Simon claimed to have bought the yacht by accident, telling luxury magazine Robb Report: 'On the day of the auction, I was tied up with clients so asked a colleague to go down and take a look. I told him that if it was going cheaply, put in a bid for a bit of fun. The bidding opened at just 150,000 Euros. My colleague bid 160,000 Euros. Trouble was, no one else bid. The hammer went down and I had bought a boat. The feeling was a mix of excitement, tinged with terror.' Read the full story: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12368499/Superyacht-used-Princess-Diana-final-summer-holiday-France-death-sinks-French-Riviera.html?ito=msngallery

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Superyacht where Princess Diana enjoyed her last holiday sinks to bottom of Mediterranean

Cujo, the yacht where Princess Diana and Dodi Al-Fayed spent their last holiday in August 1997, sunk in the Mediterranean over the weekend. According to reports, it was holed after hitting an object

• 17:46, 3 Aug 2023
• Updated 18:02, 3 Aug 2023

The superyacht where Princess Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Al-Fayed spent their last ever summer holiday before their deaths has sunk in the Mediterranean.

Cujo, which once belonged to Mr Al-Fayed, was reportedly holed after hitting an object off Beaulieu-sur-Mer on the French Riviera on Saturday. Seven people who were on board were rescued uninjured after getting into an inflatable dinghy, but the yacht sank, ending up at a depth of at least 2,430 metres.

The yacht's latest owner was an Italian man with a home on the French Riviera who was driving it when the incident happened. According to French media reports, he tried to pump out the water but failed, and even after a tugboat was dispatched to the scene, Cujo could not be stopped from sinking.

Emergency services were called at around 12.30pm and when a rescue boat arrived 45 minutes later, it found the yacht's bow partially submerged, with some cabins already flooded. One officer said: "The skipper of the Cujo issued a Mayday. His ship was sinking due to a leak.

"Rescue boats were sent from Antibes, and, after making sure everyone was safe, gendarmes detected a significant water leak at the level of the starboard front hull. Her owner had activated the pumps and kept the engines running, but this didn't stop the boat sinking."

Cujo, an Indian word that means "Unstoppable Force", made headlines in 1997 when it was owned by Diana's boyfriend. He had spent around £1million refitting it and before the couple died in a car crash in Paris, they were pictured on the yacht in St Tropez. That same summer, Diana was also photographed on Sokar, which was then owned by Al-Fayed's father, Mohamed.

The yacht - previously called Jonikal - was built in Italy in 1972 for businessman John von Neumann, who had told Baglietto Shipyard that he wanted the world's fastest yacht. The makers fitted Cujo with two 18-cylinder engines which allowed it to have a top speed of 40 knots. The businessman kept it for a few years and then sold it to the son of arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi who then sold it to his cousin, Mr Al-Fayed.

When Mr Al-Fayed moored the yacht off St Tropez in the 1990s, he invited celebrities including Clint Eastwood and Bruce Willis on board. After Diana and her boyfriend died, the yacht fell into disrepair before being restored by a family member who spent £688,000 (€800,000), according to Nice Matin . In 2020, it was put up for auction and was bought by a wealthy Italian family for £164,000 (€190,720).

In recent years, Cujo was moored in the port of Beaulieu-sur-Mer. But a local person told Nice Matin that it "regularly encountered maintenance problems." According to French newspaper Le Figaro , Cujo contained 7,000 litres of petrol but authorities said they found "little pollution" nearby. The maritime prefecture said: "It's never good news for the environment, but the forecast is that the heat and the swells will allow the gasoline to evaporate and churn."

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Incredible 80ft superyacht Cujo used by Princess Diana in her final summer with Dodi Fayed sinks after crash in Med

• Juliana Cruz Lima
• Published : 10:37, 3 Aug 2023
• Updated : 13:36, 3 Aug 2023

THE yacht used by Princess Diana during her last summer has sunk in the Mediterranean.

Cujo, which once belonged to Dodi Al-Fayed , was reportedly holed after hitting an unidentified object off Beaulieu-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera .

All seven passengers were rescued uninjured and safely evacuated on a life raft.

But the 80ft boat ended up at a depth of at least 2,430 metres despite salvage attempts.

Cujo's latest owner was at the helm when the accident happened on July 29.

The Italian , who owns a home in the French Riviera, tried and failed to pump out the water, local media reports.

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A second attempt was made by a tugboat dispatched to the scene, to no avail.

Emergency services were called at around 12.30pm, and 45 minutes later, a rescue boat arrived at the scene to find the yacht's bow partially submerged with some cabins already flooded.

The superyacht hit the headlines in the summer of 1997, when the Princess of Wales was photographed aboard with Al-Fayed.

Weeks later, on August 31, the pair died in a crash in Paris when their car hit a pillar in the Alma tunnel while fleeing paparazzi.

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After their death, Cujo fell into disrepair before it was restored by a member of the late owner’s family at a cost of €800,000 (£689,000).

The motor yacht had been moored in the port of Beaulieu-sur-Mer but was no longer in pristine condition.

“It had regular maintenance problems,” local paper Nice Matin reported.

Le Figaro also reported it had had 7,000 litres of fuel on board, but added that there was little risk of significant pollution.

In 2020, the superyacht was auctioned and bought by a wealthy Italian family for £171,000.

Cujo was built in Italy in 1972 for John von Neumann, a businessman who had made a fortune selling Porsche and Volkswagen cars in the US .

Von Neumann told Italy’s Baglietto yard that he wanted the world’s fastest yacht, which was achieved with two diesel turbo engines delivering a top speed of 40 knots.

The businessman kept it for a few years before selling it to the son of Adnan Khashoggi, the arms dealer said in the 1980s to be the world’s richest man. He in turn sold it to Al-Fayed, his cousin.

In the 1990s, Cujo became a star-studded yacht, as Al-Fayed invited the likes of Brooke Shields, Clint Eastwood , Tony Curtis and Bruce Willis on board.

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Princess Diana’s Yacht Saga: Revisiting the Boats She Vacationed on With Dodi Fayed

In the summer of 1997, Dodi Fayed and Princess Diana’s yacht adventures were the infatuation of the tabloids, paparazzi, and public like no other. The pair were captured sailing around the Mediterranean in July, first with both of their families, then again, just them, at the end of the month, spurring nonstop controversy and speculation. Weeks later the couple was killed in a tragic car accident, prompting even greater interest in the brief but impactful relationship. Nearly 30 years later, understanding just what happened on the high seas remains a notable point of interest for many invested in the Royal Family.

The momentous vacation was recently recreated in season six of Netflix’s The Crown and recounted in Prince Harry’s 2023 memoir, Spare . While conversations about the trip often recount what the couple did—and what Diana wore—it’s worth revisiting the stunning vessels where all the escapades took place. Below, AD surveys the two superyachts Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed used during their prominent summer together.

Jonikal, now known as Isabell Princess of the Sea

The sensationalized couple most famously spent time on Jonikal , a 208-foot superyacht. At the time, Mohamed Al-Fayed, Dodi’s father, owned the boat. Reportedly, he originally invited Diana to the yacht in an attempt to play matchmaker between the People’s Princess and his son.

Princess Diana sunbathes on an orange couch aboard Jonikal .

Those who watch The Crown will be unsurprised to learn that the interiors of Jonikal , which has since been renamed Isabell Princess Of The Sea by a new owner, are just as lavish as those depicted in the look-alike on the show. Inside, the ship boasts nine staterooms, a formal dining room, bar, office space, swim platform, sun deck, and Jacuzzi. Designed by navel architect Vincenzo Ruggiero in the 1980s, coffered ceilings and dark wood paneling draw inspiration from the Arts and Crafts movement of the early 1900s.

Princess Diana and Prince Harry on a jet ski near St. Tropez

In his memoir, Prince Harry remembers his experience on the yacht as idyllic. “There was much laughter, horseplay, the norm whenever Mummy and Willy and I were together, though even more so on that holiday,” he writes. “Everything about that trip to St. Tropez was heaven. The weather was sublime, the food was tasty, Mummy was smiling.”

After the original trip with her children, the princess returned to the boat a second time with just the younger Fayed. According to Vanity Fair , Fayed catered to all of Di’s preferences, even letting her pick the music that played. Reportedly, she opted for tunes by George Michael, Frank Sinatra, and the English Patient soundtrack.

A now famous image of Princess Diana on Jonikal ’s passarelle

Nearby, a brigade of press boats captured a number of photos of Princess Diana on the yacht, formally immortalizing the vessel. Most famously, Princess Diana was captured sitting alone on the vessel’s passerelle in a now iconic image. According to Boat International , the yacht most recently sold in 2023.

As Robb Report describes it, Cujo, a 65-foot military-style superyacht was once the most famous in the world thanks to her high-profile passengers. In 1997, Fayed reportedly used this smaller vessel to woo the princess.

Princess Diana and Prince William on Dodi Fayed’s yacht

The impressive yacht was originally launched in 1972, commissioned by its first owner John von Neumann. According to Robb Report, Von Neumann hired Italian shipyard Baglietto to build him a boat that was “faster than any other motoryacht on the water.” During its maiden voyage, Cujo had largely achieved this goal thanks to its twin 54-liter V-18 turbo diesel engines, which provided 2,700 horsepower and allowed it to easily hit 46 miles per hour. Von Neumann eventually sold the boat to arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, who later passed the boat to Dodi Fayed, his nephew.

Cujo was already halfway underwater when rescuers arrived.

The boat sank quickly after the distress call was made.

However, the boat’s story came to a dramatic end last summer, when it sunk off the coast of France, as reported by The Independent . According to a Facebook post from the Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes, a division of the French military, passengers issued a distress call at around 12:30 local time on July 29, 2023. A little under an hour later, a rescue boat arrived, finding the vessel’s bow already partially submerged. “The cabins of the yacht were already flooded, and only a few suitcases located in the kitchen and on the deck could be retrieved by the gendarmes,” reads the statement. The seven passengers who were on board had already evacuated and were safely on a nearby lifeboat. Rescuers and passengers then quickly left the area, as the boat sank 2,500 feet to the ocean’s floor. The cause of the accident was not shared; however, according to Boat International , sources claimed that the ship hit an unknown object floating near the center of the hull.

At one point, the vessel was among the fastest in the world.

Though Princess Diana was among the most notable guests onboard, other high-profile passengers hosted by Fayed included Clint Eastwood, Tony Curtis, Bruce Willis, and Brooke Shields. Following the passing of Di and Fayed, Cujo fell into disrepair and decommissioned in 1999. After many years in storage, Fayed’s cousin Moody Al-Fayed purchased the vessel and brought it back to life. He later sold the boat to Simon Kidston, a British car collector and restorer and the last-reported owner of the vessel.

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Incredible 80ft superyacht Cujo used by Princess Diana in her final summer with Dodi Fayed sinks after crash in Med

• Juliana Cruz Lima
• Published : 5:37 ET, Aug 3 2023
• Updated : 8:37 ET, Aug 3 2023

THE yacht used by Princess Diana during her last summer has sunk in the Mediterranean.

Cujo, which once belonged to Dodi Al-Fayed, was reportedly holed after hitting an unidentified object off Beaulieu-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera.

All seven passengers were rescued uninjured and safely evacuated on a life raft.

But the 80ft boat ended up at a depth of at least 2,430 metres despite salvage attempts.

Cujo's latest owner was at the helm when the accident happened on July 29.

The Italian , who owns a home in the French Riviera, tried and failed to pump out the water, local media reports.

A second attempt was made by a tugboat dispatched to the scene, to no avail.

Emergency services were called at around 12.30pm, and 45 minutes later, a rescue boat arrived at the scene to find the yacht's bow partially submerged with some cabins already flooded.

The superyacht hit the headlines in the summer of 1997, when the Princess of Wales was photographed aboard with Al-Fayed.

Weeks later, on August 31, the pair died in a crash in Paris when their car hit a pillar in the Alma tunnel while fleeing paparazzi.

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After their death, Cujo fell into disrepair before it was restored by a member of the late owner’s family at a cost of €800,000 (£689,000).

The motor yacht had been moored in the port of Beaulieu-sur-Mer but was no longer in pristine condition.

“It had regular maintenance problems,” local paper Nice Matin reported.

Le Figaro also reported it had had 7,000 litres of fuel on board, but added that there was little risk of significant pollution.

In 2020, the superyacht was auctioned and bought by a wealthy Italian family for £171,000.

Cujo was built in Italy in 1972 for John von Neumann, a businessman who had made a fortune selling Porsche and Volkswagen cars in the US .

Von Neumann told Italy’s Baglietto yard that he wanted the world’s fastest yacht, which was achieved with two diesel turbo engines delivering a top speed of 40 knots.

The businessman kept it for a few years before selling it to the son of Adnan Khashoggi, the arms dealer said in the 1980s to be the world’s richest man. He in turn sold it to Al-Fayed, his cousin.

In the 1990s, Cujo became a star-studded yacht, as Al-Fayed invited the likes of Brooke Shields, Clint Eastwood , Tony Curtis and Bruce Willis on board.

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• Princess Diana