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King Gives Up Royal Yacht, but Donors Want It Back

By Raphael Minder

• May 27, 2013

MADRID — In hard times like these, everyone has to make sacrifices. And King Juan Carlos of Spain wanted it known that he was doing his part, too.

Two weeks ago, the royal palace announced that “for austerity reasons,” the king would hand over to the government one of his most famous possessions, a $27 million, 136-foot yacht he received as a gift 13 years ago to replace one given to him by King Fahd, the former ruler of Saudi Arabia.

If only it were that easy.

On Monday, the gesture turned instead into an ownership battle after the businesspeople who paid for the yacht announced that if Juan Carlos did not want it, then they wanted it back. In a letter to the administrators of Spain’s national patrimony, the foundation representing the businesspeople emphasized that the gift had been made with the stipulation that the yacht be used by the king and members of his family.

The 35-ton aluminum yacht, Fortuna, is moored off the island of Majorca, where the royal family has a palace and vacations each summer. The 30 or so executives who contributed to its purchase include hotel owners and bankers with links to Majorca and other Balearic Islands, whose regional government contributed a small part of the cost of the yacht, too.

The gift was presented as a way of thanking the monarch for helping to promote Majorca, one of Spain’s major tourism destinations. But Majorca, too, seems to be a problem.

It has become the scene of a corruption case undermining the reputation of the royal family and centering on accusations that the king’s son-in-law, Iñaki Urdangarin , embezzled millions from lucrative contracts for sports events organized on behalf of regional politicians.

Last week, the Majorca-based judge who is leading the inquiry said he would investigate whether Princess Cristina, Mr. Urdangarin’s wife and the king’s younger daughter, had engaged in tax evasion or money-laundering.

Mr. Urdangarin has not been charged with any crime. But the case has intensified pressure on the monarchy at a time when the king’s popularity has fallen to record lows in opinion polls, and there have even been some calls for the king to abdicate in favor of his son, Crown Prince Felipe.

The king came to the throne in 1975, when the monarchy was reinstalled after the death of the dictator Gen. Francisco Franco, but as the head of one of Europe’s poorest royal families after decades in exile. Recently, however, as resentment has mounted here over high unemployment and cuts to social services by a government struggling to balance its budget, the family’s wealth has come under greater scrutiny.

It is not that the king, who is 75 and has had several health problems recently, would miss the Fortuna all that much; he made only one outing on the vessel in 2012. But a representative of the royal household said the yacht’s future was not for the palace to decide.

Carmen Matutes, the president of the foundation that is trying to reclaim the yacht, told the Spanish news media on Monday that her organization had no intention of keeping it, which is understandable. Just filling its fuel tanks costs more than $30,000, according to Spanish news reports. And then there is the crew.

Former King of Spain and the "rascal"

Not the best name for the former king's yacht.

Former Spanish King Juan Carlos takes part in a sailing regatta at Sanxenxo Sailing Club in Sanxenxo, Spain May 20, 2022. REUTERS/Pedro Nunes | PEDRO NUNES

Hundreds of Spaniards on Friday cheered their former kin g, Juan Carlos, on his first public appearance in his country in more than two years after investigations in Spain and Switzerland over alleged fraud were dropped.

Returning from exile in Abu Dhabi, a frail and visibly moved Juan Carlos, walking with a cane and leaning on an aide's arm, approached the crowd outside the yacht club in Sanxenxo, a resort in northern Spain, to greet them and wave at them. "Long live the king," the crowd cheered.

Juan Carlos came from Abu Dhabi on Thursday evening to participate in a regatta on his sailboat El Bribon , The Rascal in Spanish, his long-time friend Pedro Campos told state broadcaster TVE.

Juan Carlos I abdicated in 2014 after a series of scandals that were damaging the reputation of the royal family, including a hunting trip in Botswana. In 2021 he made million-euro payments to the tax agency to regularize his fiscal situation after it emerged that he had received undeclared income over a number of years. He is still involved in a harassment case brought against him in Britain by his former lover, Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein .

Ironically, translated into English Bribon means: rascal or rogue , funny that!

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King Juan Carlos gives up use of motor yacht Fortuna

News to prick up the ears of brokers as King Juan Carlos of Spain renounces the use of his royal yacht, the 41.5m ultrafast motor yacht Fortuna .

Delivered by Izar in 2000, Fortuna was crowned the world's fastest superyacht, reaching 68 knots. Her extraordinary turn of speed is delivered by three Rolls Royce gas turbines linked to triple waterjets plus two MAN engines. The recent news may be connected to the fact that polls show public confidence in the Spanish royal family slumping as people smart from severe cuts to welfare, a double-dip recession and an unemployment rate of more than 27 per cent.

So who will be the broker appointed to sell Fortuna ? Watch this space.

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The Fortunas of King Juan Carlos

Affluent businessmen gave the monarch a 41.6-meter super yacht in 2000 but now he has renounced the vessel for austerity reasons, they want it back.

In Baltasar Porcel's 1983 book El encanto de Mallorca (or, The charm of Mallorca), King Juan Carlos wrote: "I wouldn't swap a day out at sea for anything. If I did not have to report to La Zarzuela, I would spend my life at sea."

Things are different now. At 75 years of age, the monarch has handed over his yacht, Fortuna, to the state . It's a public relations move, as Spain struggles to emerge from the recession, and probably on doctor's orders after the king underwent a series of operations.

But a group of wealthy businesspeople, who chipped in to purchase the Fortuna for the king, want it back. It is up to the Cabinet to decide whether to give the 21-million-euro yacht back to Fundatur, the entity that was specifically created to raise money for the vessel. Fundatur — Tourism and Culture Foundation — on Thursday formally asked the government to return it.

The Fortuna was the last in the king's line of vessels, which stretches back to 1970, and has included three yachts and a sailing boat, all of the same name. Like his forebears and his children, Juan Carlos is a passionate sailor, who represented Spain in the 1972 Olympics. Far from a mere hobby, the king describes the sea as "a tonic."

"When I feel tired all I have to do is go on board, set the prow to the horizon, feel the air on my face and my energy and vitality returns," he wrote. He even worked sailing into his schedule "to carry out my duties at full tilt."

The king's first vessel was Fortunita, which he sailed at the Munich Olympics

The king's first vessel was Fortunita, an 8.9-meter Dragon-class competition sailing boat that he used at the 1972 Games. It was a wedding present from the queen, who was also an Olympian in 1960 when Greece won gold in the Dragon class. After falling into disrepair and out of the royal psyche, it was discovered in a shipyard a few years ago, restored by some of the king's sailing companions and now resides in the Olympic Museum in Barcelona.

In 1976, Juan Carlos obtained his first yacht, a 20-meter, 30-knot vessel with room for eight passengers. On board, he entertained the monarchs of Belgium and former Socialist Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez. He sold it in 1979 to the Marquis of Mondéjar, who was his sailing teacher on board Fortunita and also head of the Royal Household until 1990.

That year, then-crown Prince Fahd of Saudi Arabia gifted Juan Carlos with his next Fortuna, a 30-meter yacht capable of 40 knots, as a demonstration of the "close friendship" between the royal families. The king had it refurbished, extending it to 33 meters and expanding the cabins to eight. The Royal Family voyaged far and wide in the Fortuna, visiting the Aga Khan in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, and cruising to Motril to reunite with King Baudouin of Belgium and his Spanish consort, Queen Fabiola. Among the dignitaries to caress the wheel of Fortuna were former President Bill Clinton, the late Princess Diana and former Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar.

But Fortuna soon began to show its defects and one time had to be towed to port with Prince Charles on board. "It's an Renault 4," the king lamented. After a failed attempt to sell it at auction, Fortuna was retired after 21 years of royal service.

The king's final vessel — the one that Fundatur wants back — was one of the fastest pleasure boats in the world. Constructed in Cádiz, Fortuna is 41.6 meters long and cost 21 million euros. A group of 25 Spanish businessmen each put up 600,000 euros toward the bill while the Balearic regional government paid a further 2.7 million euros. The businessmen, unsurprisingly, are now bidding to have the vessel returned to them rather than see it placed in the hands of the government.

On May 16, the Zarzuela Royal Palace announced that the king ordered that the vessel be decommissioned. After finding out that the monarch handed over his boat, Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría said that the government would find a "more profitable and efficient use" for it.

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King Juan Carlos of Spain: a man of sacrifice

Name : King Juan Carlos of Spain .

Appearance: Barely regal.

King who? King Juan Carlos of Spain.

Oh right. What's he done now? Given up his yacht.

Aww. Sad. Because he's getting too old to sail? No, it's not that kind of yacht. It's the other kind. The kind that's 136ft long, worth £18m and costs around £17,000 to refuel.

Ah. The kind a king gets. Yep, and the kind that, arguably, looks a little bit too lavish for the monarch of a country with a 27% unemployment rate. Especially when his popularity ratings have plummeted in the wake of a string of royal scandals and embarrassments .

Such as? Such as last April, when the king – then the honorary president of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Spain – was caught jetting off to Botswana for a secret elephant-hunting safari at an estimated cost of £8,000 a day.

And? And a corruption probe into the charity run by the king's son-in-law Iñaki Urdangarin, Duke of Palma, from 2004 to 2006, from which Urdangarin is alleged to have siphoned money intended for disabled children into off-shore bank accounts.

And? And the fact some of his family have really shot themselves in the foot.

In what sense? In the sense that just before the king's safari his 13-year-old grandson Froilán Marichalar literally shot himself in the foot with a shotgun .

Which is a scandal why? Because, according to Spanish newspapers, the law, and basic common sense, 13 is too young to be firing a shotgun at your own feet or anyone else's. Prompting allegations that the royals feel the normal rules don't apply to them.

And do they? Yep. Because they don't. King Juan Carlos is literally above the law. Two people claiming to be his illegitimate offspring have had attempts to prove his paternity thrown out of court on the grounds of his legal "inviolability".

Ah. Well then I'm not so bothered he's lost his yacht. To be fair, he's probably not too bothered either. He can still go shoot an elephant with impunity.

Do say: "We're all in this together."

Don't say: "But some of us are more in it together than others."

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- It's not every day the average Joe gets to take a peek at the personal possessions of a royal.

Juan Carlos, the King of Spain, pictured on board his 52-foot racing yacht

But, this month CNN's MainSail program has been lucky enough to go on board Juan Carlos I -- the King of Spain's racing yacht.

We get a unique insight into just what a royal's boat looks like and the kinds of technological toys and state-of-the-art equipment a King likes to equip it with.

Speaking with the one of the boat's crew members, Ignacio Triay, CNN MainSail presenter Shirley Robertson finds that the King's boat is, indeed, at the cutting edge of modern sailing.

The 52ft vessel is raced by a crew of 15 people and has competed in some of the world's most popular yacht racing series, racing alongside the very cream of the world's sailing talent.

Triay, who has been sailing for the King of Spain for over 20 years, said the boat contains all of the best modern electronic and sailing equipment.

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From the blogs: controversy, commentary, and debate, sit tight, we're getting to the good stuff.

The King Of Spain Is Giving Up His Yacht As The Recession Continues

Spain's King Juan Carlos is giving up a 21-million-euro ($27 million) yacht named Fortuna, officials say, as his subjects weather a biting recession and record unemployment.

The 41.5-metre (136-foot) yacht was donated in 2000 by a business group but left the king open to criticism during hard times in Spain. Each refuelling of the yacht costs more than 20,000 euros, according to the Spanish press.

The group, the Tourism and Cultural Foundation of the Balearic Islands, had said it hoped the king's presence in the Mediterranean archipelago would draw holidaymakers.

Like other assets including the royal palaces, the luxury yacht is owned by the state and managed by the National Heritage for the use of the 75-year-old king and his family.

But the king has taken sail with the yacht less frequently in recent years, making his last outing in August last year.

"The king has taken the decision to ask the National Heritage to proceed with the release of the asset," a spokesman for the institution said late Thursday.

The National Heritage board must now approve the yacht's transfer to the government, which could decide to keep it or sell it.

Juan Carlos won wide respect in Spain for helping guide it through a political transition after the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.

But polls show public confidence in the royal family slumping as people smart from severe cuts to welfare, a double-dip recession and an unemployment rate of more than 27 percent.

The king's son-in-law, former Olympic handball player Inaki Urdangarin is engulfed in a corruption probe over a non-profit institution he ran from 2004-2006 and his wife -- the king's younger daughter Cristina -- is at risk of being dragged into the affair.

The king provoked outrage among Spaniards in April last year when he took a luxury elephant-hunting safari in Botswana in the midst of the economic crisis. The holiday was only discovered when the king broke his hip and had to return to Spain for treatment, leading the monarch to issue an unprecedented apology.

Copyright (2013) AFP. All rights reserved.

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PALMER JOHNSON Yachts – Operating Since 1918

Palmer Johnson is one of the iconic yacht builders to emerge from the Americas. The company is located in the Great Lakes region in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

The company constructs high-end performance yachts up to 81.4m, with showrooms in Fort Lauderdale and Monaco.

Once highly regarded, they built famous vessels, such as the Fortuna for the King of Spain, and the Turmoil, an explorer vessel that sailed the globe three times. 

PALMER yachts history

In 1918, Hans Johnson and Herman Gmack founded Palmer Johnson under the original name Sturgeon Bay Boat Works.

The boatyard specialized in repairing rowing boats and commercial fishing vessels in the 1920s.

In 1928, they launched their first wooden yacht and became known for building high-end wooden sailing yachts. Hans’ son, Palmer Johnson, takes over the company in the same year.

As with many companies with a 100-year history, Palmer Johnson went through hard times and prosperous times.

The WWII period was a particularly good time for business for Palmer Johnson as they built over forty 45-foot air-sea rescue boats and four “T” class freighters.

In 1956, the shipbuilding company was sold and renamed after the founder’s son, Palmer Johnson.

Throughout the 1960s and into the next four decades, Palmer Johnson was at the forefront of innovative yacht construction using aluminum. 

The company delivered FIREBIRD just a few short years after this shift to aluminum yacht construction. FIREBIRD was the world’s largest aluminum sailing yacht at the time of her launch, a 25.6m ketch.

FORTUNA soon surpassed this record in 1979. FORTUNA was King Juan Carlos of Spain’s 30.5m yacht.

FORTUNA held the title of the fastest yacht globally for over a decade as she could reach the incredible top speed of 46 knots, which was unheard of at the time.

Celebrating its 80th anniversary, Palmer Johnson launched LA BARONESSA, a 59.5m all-aluminum yacht, the largest in the USA, in 1998.

In 2003, Timur Mohamed bought the stagnant Palmer Johnson Yachts after purchasing his 120-foot yacht, the Cover Drive, from the shipbuilders.

The English businessman purchased it as the company had experienced several unproductive years.

In 2004, the company burst back onto the shipbuilding scene when it introduced its popular SportYacht series under its new owner’s direction.

The series featured exterior and interior designs from Nuvolari Lenard, the major yacht design company renowned worldwide.

In 2012, Palmer Johnson introduced the new carbon-fiber SuperSport performance. The SuperSport was a new carbon fiber performance model.

Unfortunately, this series was launched in a different economic climate and didn’t reach the success of their SportYacht series. 

Notable launches

Palmer Johnson has several other notable launches besides its most iconic launches like the FORTUNA and LA BARONESSA.

In 2007, the 41.5m PJ 135 SportYacht Dragon was launched. The superyacht rose to international acclaim with a maximum speed of 30 knots. 

Although Palmer Johnson struggled to keep traction in the yacht market after 2012, an ongoing project in partnership with Bugatti is a point of interest for yacht fans.

A contract for thirty of the new PJ 48 Niniette and PJ 63 Niniette Open Sport series yachts has been signed, which amounts to EUR 40M for the yacht building company.

Palmer Johnson has a rich history in yacht building, with over 100 years of innovative yacht building that will hopefully continue with the new Niniette model.

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King Emeritus Juan Carlos I of Spain becomes World Champion

King Emeritus Juan Carlos of Spain has claimed an impressive victory in the six-metre class at the World Sailing Championships on the Isle of Wight.

With his boat “El Bribón”, the father of King Felipe reaffirmed the titles previously won in Canada in 2017 and in Finland in 2019.

Despite the adverse weather conditions, with strong winds and sea currents, King Juan Carlos and his team celebrated the triumph of this competition.

Although he was unable to skipper the boat on the final day due to the weather conditions, he was able to follow the performance of the boat from a boat and witness the achievement.

King Juan Carlos wins the World Championship of Sailing

The King Emeritus boat, skippered by Pedro Campos, was crewed by Olympic champions Jane Abascal and Ross MacDonald, Alberto Viejo, Roi Álvarez and the British Simon Fisher. Together they showed their talent and dedication in this competition.

After winning the championship, King Juan Carlos expressed his satisfaction with the work done: “We have a sensational team, a very good team. We have worked hard, we have fought hard and here is the result”. His words were echoed by his team, the Real Club de Navegación de Sanxenxo (RCNS), and published in the Spanish newspaper El País.

At the age of 85, Juan Carlos de Borbón has once again demonstrated his sailing skills and his commitment to the sport by confirming a title for which he has been preparing for months.

Before returning to Abu Dhabi, King Juan Carlos said goodbye to his daughter, Infanta Elena, who had also accompanied him for a few days in the United Kingdom.

He also expressed his intention to return to Spain soon and is expected to take part in the eighth edition of the King Juan Carlos Cup, which will be held in the city of Pontevedra at the end of September.

Lilian Torres is a professional journalist with over 15 years of experience, is fervently committed to unearthing the histories and cultures of British and Spanish royal households, drawing the public into the enthralling world of traditions, conflicts, and triumphs.

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King of Spain trophy up for grabs at California Yacht Club regatta

Prized award was originally obtained from Spain’s King Alfonso XIII in late 1920s.

MARINA DEL REY — Sailing teams will be competing for one of the oldest racing trophies in Southern California, as the King of Spain Regatta comes to California Yacht Club, Aug. 11-12. The King of Spain Trophy, which is a sterling silver model of Christopher Columbus’ Santa Marie , has been sought by racing sailors since the 1970s. Winners of the King of Spain Regatta have their names etched onto the trophy. Past winners have included Olympic winners and world champion sailors.

This year’s King of Spain Regatta will be held at California YC just before the 2018 Star North American Championship, offering competitors a chance to become familiar with local conditions in the middle of summer.

The entry fee is $55 for anyone registering before Aug. 3 and $65 after. Sailing instructions will be available on Aug. 8. All entries must be registered by Aug. 10. Racing will take place in Santa Monica Bay, 1 mile northwest of the Marina del Rey breakwater; the course will be windward/leeward.

Racing will begin at 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 11 and 12; the trophy presentation will take place after racing on Aug. 12.

Last year’s King of Spain Regatta was held on July 22-23, 2017; 15 teams competed against each other for the right to have their names etched onto the perpetual trophy.

“Eric Doyle and Peyton Infelise, sailing for San Diego Yacht Club, finished atop the leaderboard for the second year in a row, with a commanding lead that allowed them to sit out the last race,” the official California YC recap of last year’s race stated. “The Olympic gold and World Championship team of Mark Reynolds representing SDYC, with CYC member Hal Haenel as crew, had the best read of Sunday’s conditions, delivering a 2-4-1 record that vaulted them into 2nd overall.

“Jim Buckingham and Craig Moss from Newport Harbor Yacht Club delivered a strong final race to hold onto third place over Alejandro Bugacov and crew Joaquin Gutierrez from California Yacht Club,” the recap continued.

The King of Spain perpetual trophy was acquired from the Spanish monarchy in 1929 and designed to promote Eight Meter racing on the West Coast. It was re-dedicated to California YC by Owen Churchill, who won the trophy several times for his multiple Eight Meter victories.

Alfonso VIII was the King of Spain from his birth until 1931. The Spanish-American War, which eventually resulted in Spain losing colonial rule over Cuba, Guam, the Philippines and Puerto Rico, was fought during his regency.

Those participating in the King of Spain Regatta are permitted to use the California YC facilities during the event. Complimentary refreshments will be available throughout the race. The club’s docks are also available to competitors beginning Aug. 8; teams competing in both the King of Spain Regatta and 2018 Star North American Championship are permitted to use California YC’s dock space through Aug. 22.

Contact Regatta Chair Marylyn Hoenemeyer at [email protected] or at 310-472-3577 for more information. Questions can also be directed to Evan Davis at [email protected] or at 310.823.4567.

Information about trailer storage or dock space should be directed to club’s dockmaster.

Photo: Rod Hagebols

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KING ALFONSO XIII’S COMPETITION YACHT – THE ‘HISPANIA’, IN THE CARTAGENA MARINA

Olin J. Stephens, considered by most as the best naval designer of the twentieth century, wrote the following lines, which show the “poetic” way in which he thought about hardware:’ For me, a good boat height keeps the ends out of the water, without excessive freeboard amidships. The Watson and Fife yachts from the beginning of the century were beautiful but also functional. ” William Fife II designed the ‘Hispania’, in 1909. Belonging to the Formula 15 Meter International class, it was built in the Karpard shipyards in Pasajes de San Juan, for S. M. Alfonso XIII. After more than a century and many vicissitudes, aggravated by the current financial crisis, the beautifully restored boat, recently returned to participate in a race, thanks to the Murcia Region’s Nautical Week. The Cartagena Marina, through its director, Maria del Carmen Ros, collaborated by providing free mooring to this legendary vessel, a real proud and nomadic beauty, worthy of a king. Despite being more than a century old, the ‘Hispania’ has been excellently restored. She is an impressive yacht, with an overall length of 30.17 metres (LOA) and a main sail that measures 412 meters, when fully rigged.

SOUTHAMPTON BOAT SHOW

This royal visitor has been added to the long list of vessels of all types and sizes that have chosen the Cartagena marina as a port of call this summer. Each year a parallel number of visitors also attend the Southampton Boat Show. Thousands of owners and enthusiasts pass by our stand, and many show a keen interest in what the Cartagena Marina has to offer, as undoubtedly one of the most interesting sea ports in the international nautical arena.

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‘Nothing left’: After California Yacht Club fire, residents mourn loss of a beloved spot

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In an instant, an overnight seaside blaze engulfed decades’ worth of boating trophies, historical artifacts and cherished memorabilia at the California Yacht Club in Marina del Rey on Monday.

Fire crews attempted to control the blaze as heavy smoke and flames consumed the two-story building. By the time they had subdued the fire two hours later, only the skeletal remnants of the clubhouse were left standing.

John Myers, senior vice president of the club, said the blaze had been reported by an employee working late in the clubhouse Monday night. The fire spared the remainder of the facilities on the ground, including the docks and the yachts moored there. But the clubhouse, and particularly its second floor, was all but wiped out.

“We are working closely with the Los Angeles County Fire Department in their investigation of the cause of the incident and will share those findings when they become available to us,” Myers said.

Members are left mourning, comparing the loss to the death of a loved one.

Jennifer Dakoske Koslu awoke in Rancho Mirage at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, before the sun had risen, to find her phone inundated with text messages from club members.

The first message she read simply stated, “The CYC is gone.”

“As soon as I opened my phone, it went to a link on the Citizen app and saw a video of the club burning. I was shocked,” Dakoske Koslu said.

For the last 24 years, Dakoske Koslu and her family have been dedicated members of the CYC, whose clubhouse is a few miles away from their home in Playa del Rey. She said it is where her children have grown up, familiarizing themselves with every inch.

“I remember taking my son there on the Fourth of July when he was just 3 weeks old. It was the first place we went with him as a newborn,” Dakoske Koslu said.

She and her husband biked to the club in the aftermath of the fire, greeted by the charred remains of the building on Wednesday afternoon.

“The destruction is unbelievable. It’s clear that the fire was burning intensely on the second floor,” Dakoske Koslu said. “There’s nothing left.”

The second floor once housed a collection of the club’s prestigious racing trophies, kept on display for members and visitors. The fire melted all but a single salvageable California Cup. Most notably, the priceless King of Spain Trophy, acquired in 1929 from King Alfonso XIII, was lost.

Additionally, the club lost cherished photographs of every past commodore, a significant position within a yacht club. Members said they didn’t know if anyone had digitized the images of the commodores or of the club’s founders.

“We would tell yachting stories at the bar around lots of memorabilia, and the yachting artifacts behind the bar are all gone now,” Tom Materna said. “The yacht club provided us a facility for the off-the-water celebrations after hard-fought competition on the water.”

The CYC dates to the early 1920s, started by boat owners from the Los Angeles Athletic Club and other yacht clubs. The Board of Harbor Commissioners approved the first clubhouse in 1922, designed by famed architect Edwin Bergstrom, co-designer of the Pentagon.

In 1965, the yacht club submitted a proposal for an all-encompassing $1-million, two-story, 10,000-square-foot clubhouse on four acres off Admiralty Way. Members envisioned a state-of-the-art facility with 170 boat slips, a guest dock, a small boat hoist and a dry land storage facility for boats. The clubhouse that resulted was dedicated on June 10, 1967.

Then-Commodore William A. DeGroot Jr. told The Times that the triangular parcel of land on which the clubhouse still sits is a “perfectly logical place for a club facility, and a commanding view down the main channel of the marina.”

Though the building has historical significance to its members, it does not have a historic designation, according to Linda Dishman, president of the Los Angeles Conservancy.

“We are deeply saddened by this tragedy and so grateful for the outpouring of support from the community and our members,” Myers said. “CYC has been a beacon for the nautical community for the past 101 years.”

Materna, 68, first found out about the fire through Facebook as friends posted videos and photos of the damage Tuesday morning. Then he began receiving calls and text messages from friends.

“Everybody woke up in the morning and realized we’d lost a significant part of the sailing community,” Materna said.

His connection to the club dates back nearly 52 years, to when he was just 16 years old. After spending 30 years sailing professionally with Hobie Cats, mainly racing catamarans — a watercraft with two parallel hulls of equal size — he recently served as a crew member on other club members’ racing yachts.

The CYC is pivotal in the boat racing community, organizing and hosting events such as the Optimist National Championship and Junior Olympic trials, Materna said. He fondly remembers the hundreds of people from across the globe converging on the marina for similar events.

The main topic among members now is what’s next for the club. Dakoske Koslu noted that the club’s ownership changed over the last few years, and many are unsure and concerned about the club’s continuation after the fire.

The club relocated to the marina in 1967, leasing the land it sits on from the county.

“I don’t think the county has really valued the contributions of the California Yacht Club as an important part of the Marina. They value Trader Joe’s because it’s more money for them,” Dakoske Koslu said.

Dakoske Koslu said she’s seen numerous small marine-oriented businesses displaced from the marina, making way for more commercialized developments such as Trader Joe’s and Recreational Equipment Inc.

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Anthony De Leon is a 2023-24 reporting fellow at the Los Angeles Times. Born in Fresno to a Chicano family, he pursued his higher education in his hometown, earning an associate‘s degree in journalism from Fresno City College and then completing a bachelor’s in media, communications and journalism at Fresno State. He went on to complete his master’s in media innovation at the University of Nevada, Reno.

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• Environment

As an exiled king who shot dead his younger brother in an accident as a young man, faced down coup plotters, and is rumored to have slept with more than 1,500 women , the life of King Juan Carlos of Spain is not exactly short of drama.

Throw in eye-watering allegations of financial impropriety, an ill-advised spot of elephant hunting, and a multimillion-dollar gift to his former lover, and it is perhaps not hard to see why a satirical play based on the larger-than-life former king is filling the house night after night at a theater in Madrid this spring.

Indeed, the author of the play, called The King Who Was, has compared Juan Carlos to one of the great figures of Shakespearean tragedy. Albert Boadella, founder of the Els Joglars company, told El Pais that the bard “would have been delirious” at the prospect of telling his story.

The London Times reports that the play is set onboard a yacht where Juan Carlos is vacationing, along with “his mistress, an illegitimate son and an uptight Englishman,” and features a scene based on King Lear on the heath, one of the most famous in British dramatic history.

The Times says one of Juan Carlos’ zinger lines includes describing European royal families as “all shit—and the worst of them the English.”

Juan Carlos was regarded as a hero by many older Spaniards for his role in transitioning Spain to democracy after the death of the dictator Francisco Franco and resisting a 1985 coup attempt. But the king abdicated in 2014 over corruption allegations that surfaced after he broke his hip while elephant hunting, and went into exile in 2020.

His former lover, Princess Corinna zu ­Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, alleged in court that the Spanish intelligence services harassed her and her children, broke into her home, and left on her coffee table a book that claimed Princess Diana was murdered. She said she was harassed by Juan Carlos because, after he gave her $68.2 million as a gift, he then asked for access to the money, a request she denied.

Summing up why he wrote his play, Boadella said: “If Shakespeare had lived in our time, he would have done Juan Carlos I before Hamlet or Macbeth. His life is absolutely Shakespearean, a great classical tragedy. The military coup, his economic and sexual revelry. And finally, exile. Don’t tell me that this is not a story with all the elements of a Shakespearean tragedy.”

The post King Juan Carlos of Spain’s Shakespearean Downfall Packs Madrid Stage appeared first on The Daily Beast .

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Everything must go: Abdicating King of Spain knocks £2m off his bulletproof yacht that played host to Diana and Queen-to-be-Letizia

• Fortuna, a 136ft luxury yacht, was given to King Juan Carlos by a group of businesses in Majorca to promote tourism
• But he was forced to give it up after coming under fire for enjoying an elephant safari while Spaniards fought austerity
• Now the motor boat's asking price has been dropped from £8.1m to £6.6m - a drop of nearly 20% - by the agents
• The boat counts Princess Diana, Prince William and the Spanish queen-in-waiting Princess Letizia among its guests

By Steph Cockroft

Published: 07:00 EST, 11 June 2014 | Updated: 12:59 EST, 11 June 2014

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It was put on the market as a sign of solidarity by the king, to show his appreciation for the harsh austerity measures and rising unemployment rates facing his fellow Spaniards.

But it seems times are so austere that those selling King Juan Carlos's luxury royal yacht have had to slash its asking price - by nearly 20 per cent.

Fortuna, a 136ft motor boat used exclusively by the Spanish Royal Family and their guests - which has in the past included Princess Diana and Prince Charles - has had its price dropped from £8.1m to £6.6m.

Reduced: Fortuna, the luxury royal yacht used exclusively by the Spanish Royal Family, is on the market for £6.6m (€8.25) after King Juan Carlos decided to give it up in a show of solidarity as Spain battled high levels of unemployment and austerity

Famous faces: The boat has played host to several famous faces, including Princess Diana, Prince Charles and Prince William, pictured here with King Juan Carlos in 1990

The boat, which remains moored off the island of Majorca, where the royal family has a palace and goes on holiday each summer, was gifted to the state by around 30 executives with links to Majorca and other Balearic Islands in a bid to promote the islands.

But King Juan Carlos - who announced last week that he plans to abdicate to make way for his son Prince Felipe - was forced to renounce the use of the yacht, after coming under fire for going on an elephant safari in Bostwana in 2012, while the Spanish economy plunged further into crisis.

The holiday came just weeks after the monarch - who won wide respect in Spain for helping guide it through a political transition after the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975 - claimed to be 'kept awake at night by the plight of the Spain's youth unemployed'.

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But after the king announced he would hand over his prized possession, the group who bestowed the yacht, the Foundation of Balearic Culture and Tourism, said they wanted it back.

In a letter explaining their claim, they stressed that the gift had been given with the understanding that the yacht be used exclusively by the royal family.

Now the 140-tonne vessel, which was originally put on the market for the equivalent of €10m, has been reduced to €8.25m.

Spotted: Diana was seen on board the boat, which was bestowed to the king by the Foundation of Balearic Culture and Tourism in a bid to encourage tourism in the islands. When he announced he was giving up the boat, the state returned it to the foundation which put it up for sale

Smiles: King Constantine II of Greece, Princess Theodora of Greece, Princess Diana and King Juan Carlos enjoyed a summer holiday on the yacht in 1990 in Majorca, Spain

Happy families: King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, Prince Felipe - who is due to take over from his father imminently - and wife Princess Letizia, plus all the Spanish Royal family members were often seen boating on the yacht. In this picture, they enjoyed a trip around the Balearic Islands

The queens: Queen-in-waiting Princess Letizia, left, and Queen Sofia of Spain, right, were pictured on board the royal yacht in 2006 with Princess Leonor as they attended the Copa del Rey sailing trophy

Arrival Yachts, the agency managing the sale, said the price had been dropped as part of its strategy to indicate the seller's wish to negotiate and not because there was a lack of interest. It said all serious offers would now be considered.

The boat, which is said to be more like an aircraft in design, was named as the fastest in the world of its type in 2000 when it reached 68 knots.

As well as a plush interior and a lavish deck which boasts 360 degree views out to sea, anyone buying the boat will also be able to count themselves in good company.

Inside: The 140-tonne vessel was named as the fastest in the world of its type in 2000 - when it reached 68 knots. It is said to be more like an aircraft in its design and represents 'the pinnacle' of this type of yacht, which includes a lavish interior

The master bedroom on the yacht, which is one of four cabins equipped with an en-suite, is large and benefits from good sound-proofing. There is also a large, flat-screen television, a music system and a host of other mod-cons inside the royal yacht

The boat, which is stored in a special dock shed in Palma, was also built with a bullet-proof structure and was deemed to be the most advanced of its type in the world when it was made

The spacious boat has been managed by a highly-specialised crew, personalised for the king, who have kept the boat up to date with all the latest and best equipment

It has been at the centre of several glamorous photo opportunities over the years - perhaps most memorably of a windswept Princess Diana and Prince Charles sunning themselves alongside the Spanish king.

Glamorous Princess Letizia, the queen-in-waiting, and the rest of the royal family are also regularly spotted on the yacht during the summer months.

The boat includes an interior which was created by Milan-based designer Celeste Della Anna, which includes panelled  wood with stitched tan leather, a beige carpet with Japanese accents and cream-coloured ceilings.

Nigel Evans from Arrival Yachts, which is marketing the yacht, which includes this kitchen, said it had been specially-designed to minimise noise and vibration from its 20,000 horsepower engine

It also has four cabins which sleep eight people, all equipped with luxury en-suites, as well as a spacious flybridge, protected by a wraparound windscreen.

There is also a large, flat screen television, a music system and other mod-cons such as an ice maker and a dough mixing machine for bread.

The boat, which is stored in a special dock shed in Palma, also benefits from a bullet-proof structure and was deemed to be the most advanced of its type in the world when it was made.

The 136ft royal yacht, which has welcomed several famous guests over the years, is moored off the island of Majorca where the royal family has a palace and goes on holiday each summer

The moment he gave it all up: The Spanish king, pictured right, was forced to renounce the boat after he came under fire for enjoying an elephant safari in Botswana in April 2012 as his country fought some of the highest unemployment levels in its history

FEATURES OF THE ROYAL YACHT

Bulletproof exterior

Measures 136ft

Weighs 140 tonnes

20,000 horsepower engine

Three turbines

Nigel Wales from the company said it was also managed by a highly-specialised crew who have kept the boat up to date with all the latest and top-of-the-range equipment.

He said: 'The recent reduction in price is part of our strategy to first locate the vessel in the market, then indicate to potential buyers the seller’s wish to negotiate.Hence the reduction from €10m to €8.25m.

'The quality of construction the yacht is similar to that of an aircraft, as you would imagine when the hull is designed to handle over 20,000 horsepower with all three turbines at full power.

'The yacht represented the pinnacle of design for this type of vessel, in terms of performance whilst minimising noise and vibration, for the client’s enjoyment.

'As a qualified naval architect I am proud to be representing ‘Foners’, which obviously helps when talking to potential clients and brokers.'

Share or comment on this article: King Juan Carlos of Spain knocks £2m off his bulletproof yacht

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