
Swimming the English Channel is considered as the “Mount Everest of Swimming”.
It is such a difficult swim that more people have climbed the Everest than successfully swam across the channel. The success rate is less than 50%.
The English Channel is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, with approximately 600 vessels moving up and down them every day, and ferries, hovercraft, seacats and jetfoils crossing between England and France at very regular intervals.
This distance is 18.2 nautical miles which is approximately 21 land miles.
Most of the England-France swims start from Shakespeare Beach between one hour before high water and one hour after high water, although the pilots do start at other times and places, depending on the tide, the weather conditions, the swimmer's ability.
As part of official Channel Swimming Association rules, no wetsuits, or other heat–retaining clothing are allowed. Nothing but trunks—and a layer of grease smeared over the body in an attempt to stay warm.
Channel swims differ from other swims of this distance by their complexity and the local environment. This is why it is one of the ultimate challenges. The swimmer will be swimming in cold water; 13°C to 16°C (hypothermia accounts for a large number of the failures) for between 10 to 16 hours. The Channel has quite a lot of hazards such as seaweed, garbage and jellyfish. Because the Dover Straits is such a narrow stretch of water between two land masses, the weather conditions are localized. It usually has a swell and when the wind is in the opposite direction to the tide it can turn quite choppy. The weather is always uncertain and local conditions can change in a very short time. The swim is every bit a mental swim as well as a very physical one, and the swimmers must be both mentally and physically capable.


Be Fit by the Best!! and faster with less effort.
You will certainly run faster after this. Dr Jody Gilligan of Corrective Chiropractic is going to do Bike fitting to raise money for Boris Fernandez' English Channel Swim and Fundación Manos Del Sur.
Anyone interested can reserve through this email drjody@comcast.net. Minimum price $ 150.
Athlete can donate as much as they want!!