Firsts across the
Channel
Cross Channel Swimmers 
The English Channel is approximately -19
nautical miles (38000 yards) or 35 kilometres (35000 mtrs) - wide
at its narrowest point (Shakespeare Beach, Dover to Cap Gris Nez,
France) and is a unique and demanding swim, considered by
many to be the ultimate long distance challenge.
Swimmers can encounter variable
conditions ranging from force 6 wind, wave heights in excess
of 2 metres and strong tide's.
The English Channel is also one of the busiest
shipping lanes in the world with 600 tankers passing through and
200 ferries/seacats and other vessels crossing daily. The success
rate each season is usually less than 50% for solo swims.
How long can it take?
This is very much depends upon weather and sea conditions. The
fastest swim was done in just over 7 hours and the slowest took
nearly 27 hours.
Ever since Captain Matthew Webb's first
successful Channel swim in 1875, thousands of swimmers have
attempted to emulate his feat. Most are content to complete the
swim, others are determined to set new records.
On 12 August 1875, he made his first attempt,
but was defeated by strong winds and poor sea conditions. Less than
two weeks later, on 24 August 1875, covered in porpoise oil, he
dived into the Channel from the Admiralty Pier at Dover. Although
he was stung by jellyfish, and strong currents kept him off the
French coast for five hours, he finally landed at Calais, recording
a time of 21 hours 45 minutes.
American swimmer Gertrude Ederle was the
first woman to swim the channel not only breaking ground for being
female, but by also beating the time of the five men who preceded
her by at least two hours! On August 6th, 1926 she swam from Cap
Gris-Nez, France to Kingsdown, in 14 hours and 30 minutes.
Gertrude's speed record stood until 1950
when Alison Streeter MBE became known as The
Queen of the Channel. She had swum it more times than anyone
else – 43 successful solo crossings, including a
three-way swim.
Find out further information about Channel Swimming.....
Pioneer Pilots
The English Channel's 22 mile
stretch of water has inspired many pioneer's to become 'first's'
over the last 200 hundred years.
- In 1785 Jean Pierre Blanchard made the
first ever balloon flight, setting off from Dover Castle to Guines
in France.
- Louise Bleriot was the first pilot to
cross the channel in 1909, winning a £1,000 prize from the Daily
Mail.
- Spanish aviator Juan de la Cierva flew
across in an autogyro he invented in 1929.
- Austrian born ‘Fearless’ Felix
Baumgartner glided across on a carbon fibre wing. ‘Fearless’ jumped
out of the plane at 10km in the sky above Dover and flew free-fall
to Calais.
- French adventurer Stephen Rousson attempted to be the
first person to cross in a muscle-powered airship. Unfortunately
strong winds prevented him from completing his attempt earlier this
year.
- Monday 26 July 1999, flying an 89-year-old original
Bleriot XI plane, Mikael Carlson touched down in a field by the
cliffs of Dover, near where the French pilot crash landed. A Calais
airfield spokesman confirmed the flight had taken 33
minutes.
- In 2008 on September 26th Swiss born
Yves Rossy was the 1st man to fly the channel using a
home made jet-powered wing.
Taking off from Calais, Rossy, who calls
himself Fusion Man made the crossing in 13 minutes, propelled by
four kerosene-burning jet turbines, flying at speeds of 120 mph and
safely landing close to the South Foreland lighthouse.
Find
out more....