Kate Middleton (in a Wetsuit!) Joins Sailboat Race with Team Great Britain

Kate Middleton is hitting the high seas!

The Duchess of Cambridge headed to the historic naval town of Plymouth in Devon Sunday to take part in the Great Britain Sail Grand Prix and dressed for the occasion in a smart navy blue sweater with white nautical stripes.

Kate, 40, matched her look with white linen shorts with gold buttons, white sneakers and gold earrings.

The royal visited Plymouth to take part in a Team Great Britain race against New Zealand in a friendly 'Commonwealth Race' around the south coast of England.

Following a quick change of outfit, Kate looked every inch a water racer in a grey cap and official GBR wetsuit. She then joined Sir Ben Ainslie, the most successful sailor in Olympic history, and the rest of the Great Britain crew.

Kate previously first met Ainslie at the London 2012 Olympics, where he won his historic fourth gold medal.

Before boarding the catamaran, Kate also met with young people taking part in the 1851 Trust's activities to promote sustainability. The group learned about seagrass, one of the most important natural tools in countering damaging changes to our climate. As part of the activity, the children made seagrass mats to be planted off Plymouth Sound, which will help improve marine health and contribute to blue carbon capture.

Kate is the royal patron of the 1851 Trust, which was co-founded by Ainslie and works to inspire young people to explore science and technology through sport.

Sunday's race isn't the first time that Kate has taken part in a sailing race. The duchess faced off against Prince William in August 2019, in a head-to-head charity event that saw the husband and wife each act as skippers of competing vessels for the chance to win the King's Cup, a historic trophy first presented by King George V at Cowes' Royal Yacht Squadron in 1920.

Despite their royal status, neither one took the top prize. However, William did place higher than Kate, giving him bragging rights around the palace!

During the awards ceremony, Kate graciously collected a giant wooden spoon — the prize designated for the captain whose team finished last.

William and Kate are now passing their love of the sport onto their three children, Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4.

"They are very much a family of sailors now," a source previously told Vanity Fair. "Kate has always been a competent sailor, and William's pretty good too. They have enjoyed some wonderful time on the coast this summer sailing and showing the children how to steer and sail a boat."

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The insider added that Prince George and Princess Charlotte are also "good swimmers" who had "no qualms about jumping into the sea even if it was a bit fresh."