High speed sailing for the Duchess of Cambridge in Plymouth

The Duchess of Cambridge was greeted by Sir Ben Ainslie of Team GB.
The Duchess of Cambridge was greeted by Sir Ben Ainslie of Team GB Credit: Royal Rota

The Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton took to the water yesterday as part of the SailGP event in Plymouth.

Elite sailing yachts from all over the world took to Plymouth Sound for the final races of the event on Sunday.

The Duchess of Cambridge joined in with the high speed sailing. Credit: Royal rota

The Duchess donned her wetsuit & safety helmet and joined Olympian Sir Ben Ainslie on the Team GB boat for a friendly race against New Zealand who went on to win the competition.

The Duchess sailed with Team GB aboard an F50 catamaran Credit: SailGP

Elite sailing yachts from all over the world took to Plymouth Sound for a weekend of high-speed racing.

Crowds packed Plymouth Hoe to watch the action out on the water Credit: ITV News

The Duchess experienced foiling across Plymouth Sound – the F50 catamarans can exceed 60 miles per hour if the conditions are right.

The fleet of F50 catamarans taking part in the SailGP event Credit: ITV News

She attended the event as Royal Patron of the 1851 Trust, the Great Britain SailGP team’s official charity.

Organiser Susie Bissell felt there was no better place to host this leg of the SailGP event - “It’s such a wonderful natural amphitheatre to eb able to see the whole of Plymouth Sound, up here on Plymouth Hoe you get such a fantastic vantage point so I think there’s probably no better place.”