CLASSIC SWIMS ENGLISH CHANNEL
“Have you done the Channel?” This question is the benchmark by which all open water swimmers are judged.
If the answer is yes, then the swimmer has proven his reputation. If not, then there’s work to be done. There are longer swims (Lake Michigan), colder ones (North Channel, Cook Strait), and ones with more dangerous wildlife (Maui Channel, Robben Island), but none of them have become as synonymous with open water swimming as the English Channel. Perhaps this is part of the reason why it is simply known as "The Channel". Stretching from Land’s End in the west to Kent in the east, the body of water that bisects southern England from the rest of Europe is relatively shallow, averaging only 45m in depth. Known as the Strait of Dover at its narrowest point – the area between Dover and Calais – it’s the busiest shipping channel in the world, hosting more than 400 commercial vessels daily. Why has this stretch of water become the swim by which all others are judged? For this we need to go back and look into British history. There are many events where the Channel appears: Caesar coming ashore at Walmer, King Canute demanding that the sea stop at Southampton, William the Conqueror’s 1066 journey, or – in the 20th century – the lit le ships' journey to and from Dunkirk and the Bat le of Britain. It's our best defence against outside forces, but yet it’s tiny – just 20- odd miles – and swimming across it brings to life just how small it is. Although one of Napoleon’s soldiers claimed to be the fi rst to cross it, he took rests aboard his support boat and it is Captain Mat hew Webb’s unbroken at empt that is awarded the accolade in the history books.
CHANNEL THE ENGLISH
The merchant seaman who stumbled ashore at Cap Gris Nez on 25 August 1875 had a number of disadvantages compared to the modern swimmer. His diet during his swim – beer, brandy, coff ee and raw meat – would hardly be considered high-tech, while the one-piece swimsuit he wore was made of wool and, when wet, came in on the scales at over 4kg. Not only did he lack the navigation and forecasting technology we have today, he had to swim breaststroke, as front crawl had not been adopted by the British yet. (It was fi rst imported from South America to the western world in about the 1840s, but its splashing was considered undignifi ed). Webb’s achievements put open water swimming on the map and created a legend that is just as strong today. Another 70 at empts would take place before the next successful crossing was made by Thomas Burgess in 1911. Burgess himself had failed on 13 previous at empts.
In 1927, when many dubious claims to success were being made, the Channel Swimming Association (CSA) was founded to verify
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Each issue we look at one of the world’s most signifi cant open water swims. This month, Simon Murie heads to Dover to peer across the route of the most famous long-distance crossing
NEED TO KNOW: ENGLISH CHANNEL ○ Water type: salt ○ Distance: 21 miles ○ Depth: 45m average ○ Water temperature: 15-17°C ○ Issues: Distance, tides, maritime traffi c ○ Estimated costs: £3,000 ○ Location base: Dover, Kent ○ Diffi culty ranking: ○ Iconic ranking:
H2Open's Nicola Lisle on her way to France. (Top right): Cap Gris Nez
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