Since arriving in Sanxenxo (Pontevedra) last Wednesday, King Juan Carlos has not left Pedro Campos’ house until this Saturday morning when, in the company of his host, he went by car to the yacht club in the Galician town. . Two years after his first visit, in May 2022, the King’s father has achieved what he was looking for, that his visits to Galicia go increasingly unnoticed.
So far this year, King Juan Carlos has been to Spain twice; the first between March 13 and 17 when, after passing a medical check-up in Vitoria, he headed to Sanxexo to participate in the first series of regattas of the Spanish championship. Fifteen days later, the King’s father traveled to Madrid to attend the wedding of the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, and Teresa Urquijo, which took place on April 6, and the funeral for his nephew Fernando Gómez-Acebo, which was held the following Monday. Between one visit and another, King Juan Carlos, after stopping in Geneva, traveled to Abu Dhabi, where he has established his official residence and where he spent Holy Week in the company of Infanta Elena and her son, Felipe de Marichalar.
King Juan Carlos wants to follow the development of the regattas, in which the Bribón will defend, this weekend, the leadership of the Spanish league of the 6M class, whose first test was held last month and which remains ahead six more calls, of the eight that make up the competition.
This morning, shortly before 12 noon, King Juan Carlos (86) arrived at the pontoon of the Sanxenxo marina, but, unlike on other occasions, he neither went out to compete with the Bribón nor continued the test from another boat. The competition will continue this Sunday and the following series will be three days, from Friday to Sunday, so that the teams, especially the international ones, can prepare for the European Championship.
After arriving at the marina dock, King Juan Carlos, dressed in nautical clothing, spent almost an hour with his crewmates, chatting with them and other sailors, but ultimately he did not go out sailing. Apparently, the King’s father has a bit of a cold and he has preferred to stay on land.
The crew boarded the Bribón and, immediately, the king’s father, in an unprecedented move to date, got into Pedro Campos’ car and, sitting in the passenger seat, left the marina. On other occasions when, due to bad seas, the king could not participate in the competition, he used to follow the test from another boat.
The Bribón and the Titia, skippered by Mauricio Sánchez-Bella, face this second series with the same points at the top of the classification. The Alibaba II, by Miguel Lago, and the Aida, by Francisco Botas are other favorites for victory. The next regattas will be held between May 17 and 19 and King Juan Carlos is also expected to attend, as well as the rest of the competitions that are held every month until November.
