Being a senior royal would be daunting enough for most people. Yet not only has the Princess of Wales taken to her role like a graceful swan to water, she’s also not afraid to get stuck into some active engagements. From land yachting in Scotland, to abseiling in Wales and hiking in the Himalayas, she’s pretty much done it all at this point.
Now Britain’s most decorated sailing champion, Sir Ben Ainslie, has described how Kate was totally "fearless" as she undertook another challenging engagement alongside him in Plymouth in 2022. She didn’t receive "any tips" and her skills attracted some serious admiration.
According to the four-time Olympic gold medallist, "Kate was steering and she was very, very good" as she joined Ben on Great Britain SailGP’s F50 catamaran at the Sail Grand Prix.
This was a friendly race against New Zealand but, as per Hello!, the champion explained, "This wasn't just any old boat - this was a catamaran that goes up to 100km per hour - and we won, so she clearly knows what she's doing. I didn't need to give her any tips."
He reportedly added, "She had a great feel for the boat and was fearless, from what I could tell."
Her confidence certainly came across in photos taken during the race and the famously competitive royal was probably thrilled that she helped steer Team GB to a win. The Princess of Wales is Patron of Sir Ben’s charity, the 1851 Trust.
This aims to inspire and empower young people through sport and the champion apparently told Hello! at the Emirates Best of British Sport luncheon at Wimbledon that Kate is an "incredible sailor" herself.
"She's very passionate and we keep up to date on what's going on with the sailing teams," he claimed. "She's busy, but she keeps in touch as much as she can, which is great, and we're grateful for her support."
"Fearless" Kate is supposedly passing on her expertise to the next generation in her spare time too, as Vanity Fair claimed in 2021 that the Princess has taught Prince George, Charlotte and Louis how to sail.
A local source alleged that the Waleses spent "several days" sailing a small boat around the coast in north Norfolk, where Anmer Hall is located, and are "very much a family of sailors now".
The Princess of Wales also grew up learning how to sail, with Editor-in-Chief of Majesty Magazine, Ingrid Seward, previously alleging to The Mirror that Kate’s extensive skillset was inspired by her mum Carole.
"Kate is a product of her mother, she was brought up to do everything to perfection. She learnt to sail as a young girl and rock climb and ski. She loved cooking, dressing up and making clothes. She learnt the piano, her father taught her to play tennis to a high standard," said Ingrid, adding that "There’s nothing she can’t turn her hand to".
Being accomplished in so many different areas is not only very handy for the Princess of Wales personally, but means she can confidently get involved in engagements like the 2022 sailing race.
