William and Kate restore a dinghy, race boats and run into a former school teacher on trip to Cornwall

The Princess of Wales had a chance meeting with her former school teacher, raced boats and wowed well-wishers during a trip to Cornwall with Prince William.

The royal couple visited the National Maritime Museum, in Falmouth, on Friday on their first trip to the county since taking the roles as Duke and Duchess of Cornwall.

As Kate arrived, dressed in a brown coat and burgundy dress, she told dignitaries: "The children were upset they aren’t coming because they have to go to school."

William and Kate were shown a dinghy called Kiwi was given to the Queen and Phil as a wedding present by the Royal New Zealand Navy.

They were also handed the opportunity to help refurbish boats in the museum’s workshop.

Shown a dinghy which a team of three have spent a year to make shipshape again, Wills gushed: "It’s a labour of love."

The princess replied said: "Very impressive, beautiful job."

But they were both keen to get hands on when offered the chance to help repair a Helford Delta Class dinghy from the 1940s made of mahogany plants and oak ribs.

First, Kate went under the boat armed with a heavy metal dolly as William bashed a rivet with a hammer.

William, who turned down the offer or wearing protective goggles and ear-defenders, said to staff: "We don’t want to be the ones who put a hole in it."

The Prince added: "Make sure you do the right one, it’s a bit like that Only Fools and Horses sketch with the chandeliers."

Before bringing down the hammer, Wills called out: "You ready Catherine?"

The Princess, out of view underneath, was heard saying: "Oh my goodness" as Wills smashed the rivet into the hull.

They swapped places and Kate smashed the hammer down to splay the washer to ensure the rivet stayed in place.

William joked: "If she sinks we were never here, you never saw us."

The couple spent several minutes with future sporting stars through the ’Young and Talented Cornwall’.

Poppy Luxton, 16, is being funded through the scheme for her sailing. She said afterwards: "They were saying how their children go sailing on the dinghy. They are just really really nice to have a conversation with. "She (Kate) asked about how young and talented funding helped me. She was saying she really thinks sport and getting outdoors is great for children."

Kate and Wills also joined pupils from Falmouth King Charles School taking the controls on an indoor boating lake.

The couple grimaced when their boats almost collided on the water.

When someone said there was going to be a collision on the water, Wills called out: "I think it might be."

Afterwards, Abe Roper, 8, said: "I nearly had a crash with the Prince of Wales."

While Charlotte MacKenzie, 10, said: "It was really exciting."

Outside they spent 15 minutes shaking hands and taking selfies with a huge crowd who turned out to greet the couple.

Kate looked astonished to bump into Jim Embury, who taught her at St Andrew’s prep school in Pangbourne, Berkshire.

She cried "oh my goodness" and hugged Mr Embury, now a volunteer at the museum.

Kate added: "I do recognise you. I remember the classroom and everything. Wow. That is such a small world. I’m trying to teach my daughter all the things you probably taught me."

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Embury said he taught Kate history in the mid 1990s. When asked by reporters how she was as a pupil, he replied: "I have to say fantastic. "It was a great class and she was a great participant and a great kid. It was 25 years ago."