The Duchess of Cambridge boasts an impressive fitness repertoire, from tennis to rowing, running to sailing and more, the royal’s sporting talents are so respected she’s even landed herself the opportunity to compete alongside Olympians.
SEE: Duchess Kate shows off sporty side in special Commonwealth boat race – best photos
In July, the wife of Prince William proved her sporting prowess once more as she joined Sir Ben Ainslie’s Team GBR at the Sail GP in Plymouth. Duchess Kate helped the Olympic gold-medallist take on New Zealand in a nail-biting race for the Commonwealth Games, briefly taking control of the 49ft vessel to help lead the team to victory.
WATCH: Plain sailing for Kate as she enjoys victory with Great Britain SailGP team
The royal’s sailing talents are more impressive than you might think. Though Kate is only considered an amateur sailor, her performance in the Commonwealth Race proved her upper body, core and arm strength is in top shape.
“She’s a really good sailor in her own right,” said Sir Ben. “She has sailed with me on foiling boats as well and we’re expecting a little bit of extra help [from her].”
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Kate Middleton’s sailing workout
Upper body strength
The Duchess of Cambridge has sailed from a young age
When she’s out on the water, Duchess Kate’s upper body strength is put to the test. Sailing involves pulling lines, as well as hoisting and trimming sails to help you manoeuvre your boat properly.
This in turn paves the way for sculpted laterals and biceps – and we can all agree the royal has a toned silhouette.
Muscle endurance
Racing a 49ft catamaran is no relaxing task. Having enjoyed sailing since she was young, the Duchess likely has impressive muscle endurance to be able to continue powering through the manoeuvres right up until the end of the race.
Flexibility and agility
Sailing requires upper body strength, core muscles and good agility
Sailing is a physically demanding sport which requires exceptional flexibility and agility in order to keep control of the vessel. Activities like pulling lines or hoisting sails can significantly improve your hand-eye coordination and motor skills.
Core strength
Sailing competitively can burn about 400 calories an hour. The Duchess needs a solid core to be able to keep up with the repetitive movements on board, as well as keep balance and darting across the boat in challenging weather conditions.
Speaking to Coach magazine, Sir Ben previously lifted the lid on his intensive training routine. “I spend between three to five hours a day on the water and one and a half to two hours a day in the gym, where I mix aerobic training and weight training,” he said. “I have to ensure I get the right amount of rest between the water and gym too. It’s a very time-intensive sport.”
The Duchess helped lead Team GB to victory during the Commonwealth Race
If you want to keep up the support for Sir Ben and his team at the Sail GP, Copenhagen is set to host the fourth event of Season 3 as the most competitive racing on water returns to Denmark on 19-20 August.
The world’s first climate-positive sports race requires an equally environmentally conscious partnership, which is where The Hidden Sea wine comes in. For every bottle of wine you enjoy at a Sail GP event, The Hidden Sea will help remove and recycle ten plastic bottles from the ocean.
From climate-positive sailing to sustainable wine, The Hidden Sea and Sail GP are on a mission to remove 1 billion plastic bottles from the ocean by 2030, paving the way to become the world’s most sustainable global sports and entertainment platform. To find out more, visit thehiddensea.com.au.
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