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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Sara Odeen-Isbister

Daring Kate Middleton beams in wet suit as she joins GB crew for high-speed sailing race

The Duchess of Cambridge beamed as she took to the water with the GB team in a daring sailing race against New Zealand.

In a clip, posted on Kate and William's Instagram account today, the Duchess looks thrilled as the catamaran cuts through the water at speed during the friendly 'Commonwealth Race' at SailGP Plymouth.

Kitted out in a SailBP wet suit and lifejacket, plus an orange helmet, Kate, 40, was sailing alongside multi Olympic gold medal winning sailor Sir Ben Ainslie and the GB crew.

The New Zealand sailing team was headed up by Olympic gold medal winner Peter Burling.

The New Zealand sailing team was headed up by Olympic gold medal winner Peter Burling (PA)
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, accompanied by Sir Ben Ainslie, visits the 1851 Trust and the Great Britain SailGP Team on July 31, 2022 in Plymouth (Getty Images)

The Duchess of Cambridge is Royal Patron of the 1851 Trust, the official charity of the Great Britain SailGP team.

The charity works with young people, using sport to inspire an interest in science and technology.

The Duchess of Cambridge smiles as she gets ready for the race (dukeandduchessofcambridge/Instagram)
Kate onboard the catamaran as they race against New Zealand (dukeandduchessofcambridge/Instagram)

It also teaches young people about climate science through it's platform, Protect our Future.

It's hoped the knowledge will empower them to take action and protect the planet from climate change.

The Duchess of Cambridge takes the wheel as she competes alongside Sir Ben Ainslie for the Great Britain SailGP Team in a special one-off Commonwealth race (PA)

As part of the PlymouthGP visit last weekend, Kate learned about seagrass, one of the most important natural tools in countering damaging changes to our climate.

The video on Instagram was captioned: "Out on the water with @sailgpgbr last weekend.

Kate wore a SailGP wetsuit and lifejacket on the race (dukeandduchessofcambridge/Instagram)
During the visit, the Duchess of Cambridge took part in activities educating young people about sustainability (WireImage)

"It’s not only the racing that’s so important to these teams, but their commitment to protecting the future of our planet and inspiring the next generation to do the same.

"It was so good to see the Protect our Future programme with @1851trust doing exactly this.

The Duchess of Cambridge runs across the boat as she competes alongside Sir Ben Ainslie for the Great Britain SailGP Team in a special one-off Commonwealth race against New Zealand (PA)
Sir Russel Coutts, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Sir Ben Ainslie and Hannah Mills arrive before racing (Getty Images)

"Thanks for the racing too!"

Before she got changed for the race, Kate wore a stylish nautical-style outfit, with a stripey top, white linen shorts with gold buttons (Holland Cooper, £199), brilliant white plimsolls (Superga, £59) and gold Orelia huggie earrings.

Kate wore a stylish nautical themed outfit on her visit to SailGP (dukeandduchessofcambridge/Instagram)
Kate learned about the importance of seagrass in countering the effects of climate change (dukeandduchessofcambridge/Instagram)

Speaking before the race, Ainslie said: “She’s a really good sailor in her own right, she has sailed with me on foiling boats as well and we’re expecting a little bit of extra help, given she’s sailed across the Atlantic.”

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