Prince Ricardo De La Cerda
King Felipe of Spain has returned to his sailing roots to spend the day at the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona.
The King of Spain met Grant Dalton, CEO of America’s Cup Events, Aurora Catà, Vice President of America’s Cup Event and Natalia Vía-Dufresne, On-Water Operations Manager during his visit on Thursday.
He was able to tour some of the hydrogen-powered foiling support vessels and learn more about the alternate power-source that is helping meet the America’s Cup’s commitment to reducing CO2 emissions, in addition to following the opening round of competition on one of the crafts.
King Felipe also toured the recently remodelled Port Olimpic in Barcelona, a local marina that has been the site of several international sailing competitions. He was able to meet with several competitors before the competition opened and was also able to thank the international volunteer team of over 2,000 people.
This is the third time that the America’s Cup has been hosted in Spain.
King Felipe is no stranger to sailing. He competed for several years and was a member of the Spanish sailing team for the 1992 Summer Olympics (also held in Barcelona). He is also a member of the International Soling Association.