This week, it has been confirmed that King Juan Carlos will once again pack his bags for a very special trip to New York. He won't do it alone, because this time he will coincide with his eldest daughter, Infanta Elena. The news has surprised many, since it is not common for them to meet abroad for several days.
The emeritus has found a new setting to keep cultivating one of his greatest hobbies. Meanwhile, Infanta Elena has also decided to join the same destination with a different role. The question now is inevitable: what event is capable of bringing father and daughter together thousands of kilometers (thousands of km) from Spain?
King Juan Carlos and Infanta Elena head to New York for the 6 Metre World Championship
Since he moved to Abu Dhabi in 2020, King Juan Carlos's public appearances in Spain have been occasional and almost always linked to sailing. In Sanxenxo, Galicia, we have witnessed his family reunions and how he has regained part of his normalcy through the sea. His boat, Bribón, has become a symbol of this vital stage.
Infanta Elena is also no stranger to this family tradition, as she has accompanied her father and her brother, Felipe VI, in different sailing competitions. The hobby is not new: it dates back to the Borbón family's childhood and has been passed down from generation to generation. Now, both are heading to the same international setting, but with separate agendas.
According to Vanitatis, what will unite Juan Carlos and Infanta Elena in the coming days is the 6 Metre World Championship. This international competition will be held from September 17 to 26 at the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, located in Centre Island, in the town of Oyster Bay, New York.
The event, founded in 1907 at the Cercle de la Voile de Paris, brings together the elite of international sailing every year. King Juan Carlos will travel with his team to compete with Bribón, while Infanta Elena will do so with a different boat. Although they won't be on the same crew, they will stay in the city for at least ten days, which ensures some meetings.
The program begins on September 17 with the official measurements and registrations of the boats. For a week, the qualifying races will take place until September 26, the day of the awards ceremony and the closing banquet. It will be a unique opportunity to see father and daughter share the stage outside Spain at one of the most prestigious events on the sailing calendar.
A shared passion that was strengthened in Sanxenxo
The truth is that sailing has been one of the great bridges that have kept the closeness between father and daughter. Despite the kilometers (km) that have separated them since 2020, both have found in regattas a common space to reunite. Sailing, more than a sport, is the thread that connects their personal story with the public projection of the Royal Family.
The emeritus and his eldest daughter have coincided on several occasions in Sanxenxo. There, as usual, businessman Pedro Campos acts as host for King Juan Carlos. His house, located 1.2 mi. (2 kilometers) from the yacht club, has become a refuge for Felipe VI's son since May 2022.
In July, it was the last time father and daughter met in Galicia. The king then participated in the Spanish 6 Metre League as captain of Bribón, while Infanta Elena arrived days later to accompany him. This time, the route will be more ambitious: both will cross the Atlantic bound for New York.
King Juan Carlos and Infanta Elena's trip to New York shows how the passion for sailing continues to unite father and daughter. The international event also comes at a crucial moment, just weeks before the emeritus publishes his most desired memoirs. What remains to be seen is whether this new chapter will serve as a boost for his long-awaited reconciliation with Spain.