Ben Lowings

Ben Lowings has sailed dinghies and yachts everywhere from the Norwegian Arctic to New Zealand. An ex-newsreader for Radio New Zealand, he has spent more than a decade at the BBC World Service.

He also skippers commercial yacht deliveries around Britain. He has written three books, The Chancellor, a biography of the yachtsman George Millar, and The Dolphin, a biography of Dr David Lewis, and The Sun Of May: Vito Dumas: A Life.

Battle stations: Starting reefed with foulies on.

Scandinavia’s largest regatta: ‘More like a cruising rally than a race’

August 20, 2024

Cruising yachts in Scandinavia make a beeline for the Danish town of Skagen over every Ascension Day holiday in May. Nearly all of the entrants are production cruisers. This, along…

Sailing square riggers: ‘You’re more appreciative of what sailing used to be’

June 25, 2024

Most cruising yacht sailors would agree that any field of knowledge that might sharpen their own skills is worthwhile learning about. But does Patrick O’Brian rattling on about thimbles and…

Vito Dumas: Ace of spades

June 22, 2022

Vito Dumas was the first person to sail solo around the world south of the three great capes. Ben Lowings recalls the Argentine’s inspiring achievement

The Royal Cruising Club Pilotage Foundation guides cover areas off the beaten track from South America, the Arctic and the Black Sea to the Pacific's Chagos Archipelago and Ko Chang in Thailand (pictured). Credit: Anna Berkut/Alamy Stock Photo

Royal Cruising Club: Treasure Trove

February 1, 2022

Ben Lowings delves into the journals of the Royal Cruising Club to discover how yachting has changed over the decades