Kate Middleton laughs off a cheeky quip before sailing to victory in the Commonwealth Friendly Race

Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, was spotted showing her sporty side earlier today in Plymouth, as she as she took the helm of a 49ft F50 foiling catamaran, guided by sailing expert Sir Ben Ainslie.

• Kate Middleton was seen today representing the UK at the Commonwealth Race at the Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in Plymouth Sound.
• Duchess Catherine joined the 1851 Trust today, which is a charity that seeks to engage and inspire young people to promote sustainability.
• In other royal news, the history of the Queen’s Edinburgh wedding bracelet, and the significant reason only one other person has worn it.

The Duchess of Cambridge is known for her keen interest in sport, along with the rest of the Cambridge clan.

A regular during the Wimbledon summer season, just a few weeks ago Kate Middleton was spotted giving her parents a wink as they sat down to enjoy the Wimbledon final. Her husband is also a keen sports fan, and this morning saw Prince William and Charlotte cheer on England's Lionesses ahead of Euro final.

Today saw the Duchess take on a sporting challenge of her own, as she joined Sir Ben Ainslie, who is said to be the most successful sailor in Olympic history, during the 'Commonwealth Race’ across the sea. 

Team GB were up against New Zealand in the challenging race, traveling at speeds of up to 55mph in the wind, emerging victorious at the end of the race.

“She’s a very good sailor in her own right,” Sir Ben pointed out according to reporting from The Express, also discussing how she had previously shown promise for the sport while sailing with him on foiling boats.

Before the race, Duchess Catherine and Ben chatted with the teams, with Catherine taking a keen interest in how the boats worked. She, in fact, became so engrossed that Sir Ben joked, “Come on, we’ve got a race to do, mate," to which the Duchess took in good humor.

Kate also chatted with youngsters working on the 1851 Trust’s Protect Our Future initiative, and learned how to make a seagrass mat to be planted off Plymouth Sound. 

12-year-old Jersey schoolboy Ben Carnegie-Bedlow showed the Duchess how to sow the plants.

“She did it exactly right,” he said. “It was a good job.

“She asked me if I was interested in sailing and I do sail. I also really love the ocean.”