Ludo Bennett-Jones - around Britain in a 16ft dinghy

by Nancy Knudsen on 9 May 2012 Yet another fund-raising sailor is sailing around Britain, and this one is doing it in a dinghy! 21-year-old Ludo Bennett-Jones is hoping to break two world records when he completes a circumnavigation of Great Britain from the Isle of Wight.

He is bidding to become the youngest person to sail a 16ft Wayfarer dinghy two-handed around the coast and in the shortest time.

Ludo, who comes from North Oxford hopes to raise £100,000 for Sports Relief and the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust by completing his 2,500mile voyage. He hopes to finish the mammoth adventure in early July.

However, the gusty winds and driving rain, who departed at the end of April, did not make for a good start when Ludo with a crew member Will Homer, set sail from Cowes to Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight. While they departed on time, they sensibly waited for weather, before proceeding too far.

Sponsored by BT, Ludo was joined by Will for the first leg to North Cornwall and will be accompanied by several other young sailors during the trip.

Ludo has had first-hand experience in understanding the importance of the work that both charities undertake. During the limited downtime on the voyage, Ludo will be visiting some of the projects supported by Sport Relief and meeting some of the young cancer patients helped by the Ellen Macarthur Trust. The circumnavigation is estimated to take around 10 weeks to complete.

There was a terrific send off for Ludo and Will at the Ellen Macarthur Cancer Trust offices in East Cowes with friends and family gathered to wave bon voyage to the intrepid adventurers who were not at all put off by the less than idyllic conditions for the start of their journey. They were immensely pleased that by the time they set sail over £12,000 had already been pledged for the two charities.

Before departure Ludo said, 'This has never been done before in a two handed dinghy and it is extremely difficult. The dangers lie in the shifting wind, the currents around Ireland, the tides and the waves.'

At time of writing, Ludo, in somewhat improved weather, had braved the shifting sands of Lundy Bay to reach Portsmouth in Cornwall.

Good luck Ludo! To follow his journey or donate to his good causes, http://www.loveludo.com/!click_here