The life of sailor Fernando León, friend of Felipe VI and 'love' of Cristina de Borbón

On April 6, King Felipe VI (Madrid, 1968) traveled to Gran Canaria. He did so to attend the wedding of his close friend, sailor Fernando León Boissier (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 1966). Juan Carlos I's son attended without Queen Letizia.

However, he wanted to be present at one of the most important moments in the Olympic medalist's life, in which Felipe VI served as a witness. Both have shared more than three decades of friendship.

But, how did King Felipe and the Canarian sailor meet?

The bond between sailor Fernando León and King Felipe VI

The friendship between Felipe VI and Fernando León has a significant background: the passion both share for sailing sports.

They met in the 1980s. Years later, Fernando León moved to Barcelona from Real Club Náutico de Gran Canaria, his homeland, to develop his sports career in the field of nautical sports. In the Catalan capital, the Canarian began to mingle with prominent figures in this sport such as Domingo Manrique or Roberto Molina.

In 1992, Fernando León competed in the Barcelona Olympic Games alongside the then Prince of Asturias. At this event, Felipe VI proudly carried the Spanish flag before the audience at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium.

At this sporting event, both competed in the Soling class, the highest international competition in the Soling sailing class. According to Fernando León in one of his latest interviews, "there was already a good friendship between them before participating in the Barcelona Olympics." They had already sailed together and, for that reason, they decided to form a team to compete in the Games.

During the preparation for the competition, the Canarian and the then heir lived together in the Catalan capital. Although they didn't make it to the podium to win a medal, they did earn an Olympic diploma. They also kept their friendship.

Years after the sporting event that put Barcelona on the map, Fernando León and Felipe VI have been seen on the "high seas". In fact, the sailor and the monarch have sailed together in various editions of the Copa del Rey. This is one of the must-attend events for Juan Carlos I's son in Mallorca. They also met in August 2017 when they received a tribute as Olympic sailors in Palma.

One of Infanta Cristina's "loves"

Precisely, the same year Barcelona hosted its Olympic Games, Infanta Cristina established her residence in the Catalan capital. There, Juan Carlos I's second daughter spent much of her youth in the company of her cousin, Princess Alexia of Greece.

She also had time to fall in love. Long before Iñaki Urdangarin came into her life, another Olympic athlete crossed paths with Cristina de Borbón.

We're talking about Fernando León, one of her brother Felipe's closest friends. They met in the 1980s. It is said that Felipe VI was the one who introduced them.

It was then that the Infanta and the sailor began a close friendship that, little by little, turned into a youthful romance.

In fact, according to the pages of the book "La infanta invisible" (Ediciones B), the Infanta moved to the Catalan capital to be closer to the Canarian sailor. Both attended sailing classes together. He was the teacher and she was the student.

At that time, Felipe VI's sister intended to participate in the Adapted Sailing World Championship, which was to be held after the Olympics. Their "affair" was in the media from the beginning, although it didn't last and they went their separate ways.

One of the "other protagonists" of the wedding of the Princes of Asturias

On May 22, 2004, Infanta Cristina and Fernando León met again at the wedding of the Princes of Asturias. He attended with the closest circle of the then heir. In fact, he played a crucial role since the Canarian served as one of the witnesses.

That day, León also starred in one of the most memorable moments at one of the "clandestine parties" of the princes' wedding.

After the ceremony and the banquet, Felipe and Letizia hosted a more informal party for their group of friends and close family. Among them, the Canarian sailor was present. Also Telma Ortiz, sister of the then princess.

Supposedly, the anecdote of this "party" was starred by Telma and Fernando since several witnesses stated that they hadn't separated for a moment. This circumstance sparked some rumors.

The story of sailor Fernando León

It is known that Fernando León Boissier was born on May 28, 1966, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. He has established himself as one of the great figures of Spanish sailing. León has left his mark in several of the most demanding classes in the nautical world: Snipe, Tornado, 470, and Soling.

He participated in four editions of the Olympic Games, debuting in Seoul 1988, where he came close to the podium with a fourth place in the 470 class. In Barcelona 1992, he competed in the Soling class and achieved a commendable sixth position. Meanwhile, his greatest achievement would come in Atlanta 1996.

At these Olympics, León won the gold medal in the Tornado class alongside his teammate José Luis Ballester. By then, he had already established himself as one of the country's most outstanding sailors. Four years later, in Sydney 2000, he closed his Olympic cycle with a ninth place in the same class.

In addition to his Olympic performance, Fernando León excelled in international competitions, especially in the Tornado class. Between 1994 and 1998, he won five medals at World Championships.

Likewise, he added two bronze medals to his record at European Championships in 1997 and 1999. In 2023, Fernando León returned to the spotlight. That year, he received the Terras Gauda National Sailing Award for the best sports career.

Fernando León's current life

Away from the sports field, Fernando León has built his own business "empire". According to the website "Expansión", the Canarian holds positions in three companies whose activity is related to technical services in engineering or architecture. Also in the hospitality and sports sector.

They say Fernando is a very discreet man. Currently, he lives in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. He remains closely linked to sailing sports; in fact, he continues to participate in multiple competitions aboard the "Maserati", a vessel that competes in the BMW ORC1 category of the Copa del Rey Mapfre.

Regarding his love life, he has sealed his love story with Miriam, his partner, about whom no information is known. The chosen place was the "Casa Quintanilla" estate, located in the Canarian city of Arucas. Once again, the sailor and Felipe VI have proven the unbreakable friendship they've kept for more than thirty years.