On Thursday, the 12th of February, The Duchess of Cambridge will visit Portsmouth, where she will carry out two engagements accompanied by competitive sailor, Sir Ben Ainslie.
In the morning, The Duchess will visit the new headquarters of Ben Ainslie Racing and the 1851 Trust to see what progress has been made in its construction, before going in to look at the mural in the site’s Visitor Centre. Painted by James Waterfield, My Dog Sighs and students from six local schools, the mural depicts the skyline from Portsmouth to Ryde, Isle of Wight, capturing the rich maritime history of the surrounding waters. Catherine will speak to the artists, before adding her own detail to the mural.
Launched in June 2014, Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR) is the racing team that is working hard to bring the America’s Cup – a trophy which England has never won – back to the nation. BAR was granted £7.5 million of government funding to support the team, which consists of some of the best British sailors, designers, builders and racing support.
The 1851 Trust works with young people under the age of 25, to engage the newer generation in sailing and the marine industry. It provides them with the skills and training to become innovators and masters of the marine environment. The Duchess of Cambridge is Patron of the 1851 Trust.
The Trust derives its name from the year 1851, when the Great Exhibition, organised by Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert, was held in London. A group of businessmen from the United States who were attending the exhibition brought along their schooner, ‘America’, to flaunt their ship building prowess. ‘America’ proved superior to the British ships, and won the first ever America’s Cup – the prize which Ben Ainslie Racing have now set their eyes on.
Afternoon will see Kate attending a reception at the Spinnaker Tower, where she will meet members of the community who are involved with the Ben Ainslie Racing Project. This will include teachers and students from City College – Southampton, who are building two ‘Docking RIB’ boats, which are specially designed to help dock the America’s Cup boats in the harbour. The students who are working on the Docking RIBS are Level 2 and 3 apprentice boat builders and engineers, who work for local marine companies.
The Duchess will also view a collection of exhibits on the tower’s viewing platform, including sailing simulators, power grinders used by athletes and the 3D printer which will be used to manufacture custom parts for training boats. These are set to go on display at the Visitor Centre for the 1851 Trust after in opens in July this year.
The venue for this engagement in the iconic Spinnaker Tower, which stands 170 metres about sea level and overlooks Portsmouth Harbour. The tower, with its sail-like design to emphasis the city’s naval heritage, has fast become one of the areas most impressive landmarks, and is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
This is not the first maritime engagement for The Duchess of Cambridge, who is a keen sailor-woman herself. Last year, she launched the America’s Cup Challenge at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich.
Featured photo credit: Beacon Radio via photopin cc
