Overview
- Sir Ben Ainslie publicly renewed his invitation this weekend ahead of the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in Portsmouth, saying he is hopeful and confident the Princess of Wales will sail with SailGP or join the 2027 America's Cup effort.
- The two have a long history: they first met at the London 2012 Olympics, launched a UK America's Cup bid in 2014, and Kate became a patron of The 1851 Trust, a charity co-founded by Ainslie to teach youth STEM and climate subjects.
- Princess Anne visited the SailGP Tech Hub in Southampton and toured the Emirates GBR F50 race boat in her role as Royal Yachting Association president, underscoring royal ties to the event this weekend.
- Ainslie praised the Princess's on-water skill as 'fearless' and 'super competitive,' recalling she steered their boat in a Plymouth race against New Zealand and helped secure the win, which he says supports his belief she could return to racing.
- The Portsmouth event is the eighth SailGP stop, featuring 13 national teams in identical 50ft foiling F50 catamarans that top 100 km/h and draw about 20,000 spectators, and observers will watch for any decision that could raise public interest in both elite sailing and The 1851 Trust.