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Epic five-year dinghy challenge completed
Dinghy sailor Ken Fowler has completed an epic challenge to sail around every English and Welsh island – all 262 of them – raising funds for charities close to his heart.
Ken’s final challenge was a 13-hour slog around the Isle of Wight in June and he was greeted on the beach afterwards by a group of cheering supporters.
Ken’s unique island challenge began in 2018, aiming to raise £50,000 for Cancer Research and his local Oakhaven Hospice in Lymington. The tally is now more than £64,000 – and the donation pages are still open.
The fundraising was inspired by the death of his father, from cancer, when Ken was 24, and the fact that six of Ken’s close family members have been killed by cancer.
RS Aero sailor Ken, 57, a retired air traffic controller from Dorset, gathered a huge crowd for his talks at the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show in February this year. At that point he had 24 islands left to go.
He said: “The other day someone asked me how many miles I’d sailed overall. I worked it out – about 1,200 miles in a straight line. So if I set sail from Land’s End, that would take me across the Channel and almost to the Canaries. In a four-metre dinghy, that’s a vast distance. I couldn’t believe it.
“I am most proud of the money we’ve raised. The whole thing was about hitting 50k and so for us to be over £64k means it has been a complete success.
“I feel fortunate to have seen the paces I’ve seen. In Wales last month I sailed round Skomer – twice! There were hundreds of Puffins floating in the water around us. You feel super-privileged to have gone to these places. You don’t see anyone else. The following day I sailed around one of the UK’s biggest gannet sanctuaries. It absolutely reeked and looked like a ski resort. It’s just you out there, and that day the tides were ferocious. It felt like I was going very quickly but the tide was going 5kts against me.”
For his final sail, Ken had the luxury of launching and recovering from his home club, Highcliffe Sailing Club. He has already circumnavigated the Isle of Wight in the RS Aero, back in 2015 as part of a separate challenge. (He’s also cycled across the USA and sailed from Land’s End to JOG in a dinghy.)
And the ‘what next’ question? Ken laughs: “My wife has threatened me! Honestly I feel quite drained. It’s been wonderful but I am really looking forward to sitting back and not needing to check the forecast. It’s been a long time. My body and brain needs a bit of r’n’r.”
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