The sinister story of Creole, the vessel of the Gucci family

There are many stories of marine curses. Some of them are based on superstitions and others on facts. Like the events experienced by the vessel we are going to talk about today: the sailing ship Creole.

A 65 meter long boat, constructed with noble wood, that is more than 100 years old. Despite her age, she is known as the most beautiful sailing yacht in the world, carrying 16 crew members and accommodating 11 people in her six cabins.

The day of the launching is when she started her dark legend, as they had to do three tries to break the traditional champagne bottle against its hull, which was already a bad omen.

In this spectacular gulet the kings spent their honeymoon, Juan Carlos and Sofía. They started to sail through the mediterranean making stops at Italy, Monaco and Spain. To later continue traveling through India, Japan, until arriving at the United States, where they were received by the president Kennedy. So far it all seems very romantic and idyllic, but the truth is that days before their wedding, King Juan Carlos broke his collarbone and was in a cast for the entire honeymoon. In fact, during the trip, the cast had become so stuck to the skin that Doña Sofía had to tear it off in pieces, causing great pain to the king emeritus.

In 1970 the third wife of the skipper, Stravos Niarchos, passed away on board of the ship in strange circumstances. The official version says it was due to overdosis, but there are suspicions that it was a murder. This event made Stravos sell the vessel to the Dutch Government to convert it to a training ship and into a rehabilitation center for young people with addictions.

The fashion lover, Maurizio Gucci, acquired the supposed cursed ship in 1982, investing a fortune in its renovation. It is known worldwide for what happened years later, when his ex wife, Patrizia Reggiani, was murdered.

Despite the tragedy, Alegra, the daughter of Gucci, decided to keep the boat and he maintains moored during the long seasons in the Balearic Islands, where it can be rented out by 250.000 euros weekly. But who will dare to sail this beautiful, historic, but supposedly cursed sailing ship?