ABOUT SWIMMING THE ENGLISH CHANNEL
- The water is about 15-17°C in July... THAT'S COLD!
- The swim could take between 12 and 20 hours
- Shakespeare Beach, Dover to Cap Gris Nez, France is the shortest route at approx 20 Nautical Miles
- There is a tidal shift every 6 hours taking you sideways faster than you are progressing forwards
- The English Channel is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, with over 600 shipping movements and hundreds more ferry and Seacat crossings every day
- I will encounter jellyfish... THEY HURT!
- I am only allowed to wear a standard swimming costume, cap, goggles, ear plugs and of course petroleum jelly to prevent chaffing
- I have to have a support boat and crew; this will be Eddie Spelling with his boat Anastasia. Also on board will be Eddie's crew and an official observer from the CS&PF www.channelswimming.net
WHY DO I WANT TO SWIM THE ENGLISH CHANNEL?
- Why not? It's there!
- I have wanted to swim the Channel for as long as I can remember
- To raise money for the RNLI to ensure our safety at sea is continued