The first swim crossing of the English Channel was completed in 1875 and since that time the Channel has been crossed by only several hundred men and women. Crossings have ranged from 7 hours to 26 hours and are almost exclusively done during the summer months. When planning a crossing it is necessary to set aside a window of time so that the swim may be completed in ideal conditions. Our crossing will take place sometime between June 18th and June 24th. However, if at all possible we are aiming to do the swim on June 21st: the longest day of the year.
Our team consists of ten swimmers of varying abilities. Only one swimmer will be in the water at a time, with the other nine riding in the accompanying safety boat. Because of the distance of the swim, each swimmer will swim on two lengths of approximately one mile each.
Throughout the crossing the swimmer will be shadowed by the safety boat. The safety boat is responsible for charting our course across the channel, regularly reporting our position to the coast guard, and insuring our safety throughout the swim. We are fortunate to have already secured a Pilot and safety boat with an incredible amount of experience accompanying successful swim attempts of the Channel.
As the conditions of the swim will be challenging, we are following a rigorous training schedule to prepare ourselves for this swim. We are being advised in our training by Alison Streeter, the “Queen of the Channel”; Ali has completed over 40 individual crossings of the Channel!
There is no question that this swim will be a challenging test of our physical condition and mental steadfastness. However, we are training hard and when the time comes we will be ready for this epic endeavor!