During her visit to the Sail-Ability programme, with her husband the Earl of Wessex, Sophie assisted hoisting a disabled sailor into a boat and gave an eight-year-old boy a cuddle.

The royal was also given the honour to start a boat race between Duke of Edinburgh students by sounding a loud horn, where she joked: “I didn’t value my hearing at all.”

After setting off the racers Sophie helped wheelchair user Alexzandrina Looby into a boat by using a winch.

To show their appreciation of the royal visit the National Sailing Academy nominated eight-year-old Aleccai Brown to give Sophie a card with the message: “Welcome to Antigua… Edward and Sophie”

Sophie then gave little Aleccai a hug before she left.

Sailing around the world westward is more difficult than eastward.