On the eve of six years since the swim across the English Channel, I decided to post some materials from my old website paulkuz.ru, updating them and providing comments. There will be several posts with pictures. So, if anyone is not interested, do not read.
So, first, let’s talk about what the English Channel is and swimming through it (like, help).
The English Channel (Strait of Dover, English Channel, Pas de Calais) is a classic distance for marathon swimming. It was first officially crossed in 1875 by Captain Matthew Webb of the British merchant fleet.
Matthew Webb swam breaststroke (the crawl had not yet been invented), fed on broth along the way, and crossed the strait in 21 hours 45 minutes!
Since then, in 138 years, just over 1,000 people have successfully swam across the strait (some in two or even three directions without stopping). Until recently, among them there was not a single citizen of Russia, the USSR or the Russian Empire. In recent years, several dozen attempts have been made every season - approximately 65-70% of them are successful.
Monument to Channel Swimmers in Dover Harbour. Please note: they swim crawl and in both directions.
The swim takes from 6 hours 58 minutes. (still unbroken record from 2007) up to 26+ hours, usually from 12 to 16 hours. The time depends not only on the swimmer, but also no less on the weather and the skill of the escort boat pilot. The swim is registered by representatives of the Channel Swimming Association (CSA, exists since 1926) or the Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation (CS&PF, exists since 1998) with a mandatory hiring a boat with an escort team that provides swimmer safety, navigation, nutrition and psychological support, as well as returning the swimmer to the starting point. Without the presence of representatives of the Association or Federation, the swim is not registered.
An example of messages from the support team that a swimmer sees with peripheral vision.
Important: these are not competitive, but solo swims. The last time competitions across the English Channel were held in the early 50s, they are now impossible due to intense shipping in the strait. In addition to solo swims, relay swims are now also held (from 2 to 6 people, each swims in turn for 1 hour, the rest wait on the boat), but this is a special discipline.
An example of a swimmer feeling unwell while waiting his turn during a relay race across the English Channel.
The start time of the swim is generally determined by the end of the tide, which shifts every day by approximately one hour. The exact time and place of the stratum is determined each time by the pilot of the escort boat. The launch day is determined based on the strength of tidal currents. About a week of strong currents (spring tides) is followed by a week of weak currents (neap tides), during which swims are made. But even within this “window” the strength of the currents varies from day to day. This is influenced by external weather conditions - wind strength and wave height. An ideal day - with calm and weak currents - is extremely rare. Therefore, the time results, by and large, are not comparable even for one swimmer, since the swims are performed under different conditions each time.
A swimmer who has proven the ability to swim for six hours in 16 degrees of water is allowed to participate in the swim. Celsius or lower. The results of the swimmer's medical examination are also required.
An example of a multi-hour training session in Dover Harbour.
According to the Association/Federation rules, a swimmer is allowed to wear swimming goggles, a regular swimsuit/swimsuit (armless and legless) and a cap that does not provide the swimmer with additional warmth or buoyancy. Those. Wetsuits cannot be used. This is done to ensure comparability of swim results in different years. After all, the very first swimmer across the English Channel swam without a wetsuit! It is allowed to apply special fat (Channel grease) to the body. It does not provide additional heat, but protects the swimmer’s body from direct contact with an aggressive environment. It can be ordered at the pharmacy (90% lanolin, 10% petroleum jelly). The use of waterproof players and other gadgets that assist the swimmer is prohibited. Well, doping, of course, is also prohibited. "Selective doping controls are being carried out."
Example of a pharmacy prescription for Channel grease. The doctor's instructions are to apply "to the skin of the body." Where else?
An example of applying a fat mixture to a swimmer’s body. The assistant uses rubber gloves.
Particular difficulties of swimming across the English Channel:
- length of the distance (33 km in a straight line, due to currents the distance can increase to 40-50 km, since in reality the swimmer swims along an S-shaped curve due to lateral tidal currents);
- water temperature (from 15 to 18 degrees Celsius in the season from July 1 to September 15);
- intense shipping traffic in the strait (about 700 ships cross it per day);
- aggressive environment (low water temperature, salt water as a strong irritant, abundance of algae, jellyfish, etc.);
- rely only on one’s own strength: the swimmer should not touch other people or objects (boats, etc.) during the swim.
- ebbs and flows, creating additional currents in the strait;
- wind, waves, darkness (the swim often begins and ends in the dark).
Regular nutrition for the swimmer is provided from the escort boat by passing bottles on a rope or cups on a telescopic pole.
An example of nutrition during a swim across the English Channel. Recreational swimmers initially feed every hour, then every 30 minutes. Professionals initially feed every 20 minutes, then even more often.
The swimmer's task is to find the optimum between a fast enough swimming pace to avoid hypothermia, and the need to economically distribute forces over this ultra-long distance. Stopping even for one extra minute during a swim can easily lead to hypothermia and an unsuccessful outcome. Therefore, the most important role is played by the swimmer’s properly selected and well-organized nutrition during the swim (usually liquid carbohydrates).
The main rule is that during the entire swim the swimmer must not touch the escort boat and the people on it, otherwise he will be disqualified by the official observers on the boat.
An example of an official observer recording a swim across the English Channel.
The swim begins on the British coast, the swimmer must completely emerge from the water and begin swimming at a signal. The finish is also counted when the swimmer is completely out of the water on the French shore.
Example: after a swim, a swimmer is wrapped in warm clothes, because outside the water he begins to “prick” from hypothermia. Nearby is a bucket in case of an attack of seasickness.
Channel swimming is a risky sport and involves the potential for death of the participant. The penultimate time this happened was on August 11, 2001, when at the 17th hour of the swim “visual contact was lost” with swimmer Ueli Staub (Switzerland). And the last time - this year, just a month ago on July 21, 45-year-old Irishman Paraic Casey drowned literally 1 km from the French coast at 1.30 am. His body was never found. And this, despite the fact that the swimmer attaches a glow stick to his swimming trunks at night so that he can be clearly seen in the water!
Since 1995, swims, at the request of the French authorities, have been carried out only in the direction from Great Britain to France (that is, starting from France is prohibited), usually starting from the Shakespeare Rocks area near Dover (UK) and finishing on a 30-kilometer coastline in the area of Cape Gris-Nez (from Calais to Boulogne-sur-Mer, France).
The uncertainty about the finish location is due to stronger currents off the French coast due to shallow waters. The French banned the starts supposedly for safety reasons, but the real reason was that there were too few French participants and too many British participants.
An example of a traditional starting point is Shakespeare's Rock, from where, according to legend, King Lear threw himself into the sea.
An example of a traditionally desirable finish place in France is the rocky coastline at Cape Gray Nose (Gri-net). After many hours of swimming, it is often difficult to climb out onto the rocks to officially complete the swim.
In fact, statistics show that sailing from France to the UK is easier, since the most difficult section with strong currents is overcome in the first hours of the swim, when the applicant is still full of strength. It is much worse when, in a semi-conscious state, the swimmer can already see the treasured coast of France 3-5 km away, and it will take not two, but five, or even more hours to swim to it.
An example of a recreational swimmer's trajectory: The English Channel punishes slow swimmers with side currents. But the Japanese Miyuki - and this is her card - tried to swim "both ways". The blue curve is a one-way training swim. Red curve - in two ends (she didn’t swim a little, her legs cramped). The dots mark the position of the swimmer every hour of the swim.
Due to crossing the maritime border between the UK and France, a swimmer is not required to have a French visa. The progress of the swim is being monitored in real time by French coastal authorities. Upon completion, the swimmer must immediately leave French territory and be transported by escort boat back to the UK.
An example of swimmers changing clothes after training in the waters of the English Channel. A special wrap with an elastic band is used to make it more convenient to change clothes in the cold wind.
The first Russian to cross the English Channel by swimming was Pavel Kuznetsov (35 years old at the time of the swim, Moscow). The swim took place from August 22 to 23, 2006, the swim time was 14 hours 33 minutes 25 seconds. Finished in France on a sandy beach between the town of Sangatte and Calais at 01:20. August 23, 2006. The start took place from Abbots Beach, near Dover (UK) at 10:47 am. morning of the previous day. The sea state during the swim ranged from 2 to 4 on the Beaufort scale, and the last four and a half hours passed in complete darkness. The distance in a straight line was 42 km, water temperature: 16.8-17.2 degrees. 
An example of a swimmer somewhere in the middle of the English Channel. Excitement 3 points according to Beaufort.
Another example of a swimmer in the Channel waters, about 5 km from the White Cliffs of Dover.
A year later, with the support of Russian people who were interested in marathon swimming and the British Embassy in Moscow, a swim was organized by the best Russian marathon runners at that time - Natalia Pankina and Yuri Kudinov - with the aim of setting a world record for the distance. Despite very good results (7 hours 05 minutes 42 seconds for Yuri, on August 24 and 8 hours 11 minutes for Natalia, on August 26), the record was not achieved. Also in 2007, Alla Kassidy, a Russian woman living in the UK, successfully swam the English Channel on her second attempt. (13:07, September 6). A year later, Natalia made a second attempt at the world record, but due to weather conditions, she stopped the swim after 6 hours and 14 minutes.
Since then, Russians have not swam across the English Channel.
An example of the swim trajectory of a professional swimmer (Yu. Kudinova)
The Thames, on which the English capital London stands, was a left tributary, on the banks of which lies the German River. When they melted, sea levels rose, and vast areas became the bottom of the English Channel. Britain became an island. However, the idea of reconnecting the two most important parts of Europe by land has long been the cherished dream of the inhabitants of the Old World.
For two centuries, scientists have been developing different ways to overcome the English Channel. The tunnel project was first proposed more than 100 years ago, in 1802. Albert Mathieu proposed a project for crossing the English Channel, and the next year a similar plan arose on the other side, in England. True, at that time they were more inclined to build a bridge that would pass over the strait. This gigantic structure was supposed to consist of five-kilometer spans suspended above the sea on heavy-duty cables. The idea was rejected - such gigantic bridges had never been built before, and experts doubted: would the structure be reliable? There were also completely unusual proposals. For example, about erecting artificial islands throughout the entire strait, and from these islands stretching bridges that connect with each other. But this was an even more unrealistic project. It was decided to stop at building an underground road.
The idea of building a road leading from France to England had many opponents. Many people said that in case of war between two countries, this tunnel could be used against the enemy. However, even then this objection was considered absurd. After all, if there is a threat of attack, it is very easy to quickly block the tunnel by blowing up or filling up even a small part of it. And the troops at the exit of the tunnel are more of a convenient target than a formidable force.
For a long time everything remained at the level of projects and plans. They started thinking seriously about building a tunnel only in 1955. They even started construction and started digging pits. However, nothing came of this venture. Two years later, the energy crisis forced workers and engineers to abandon the dug pits, which quickly filled with rainwater. Only 11 years later, the governments of England and France announced that they were ready to again consider the possibility of a land connection between the two. But with one condition - all work must be carried out by private companies at their own expense.
9 of the best projects were selected, and for a whole year there was serious debate about which one deserved more attention. A year later, according to the majority, the best was chosen. It was supposed to lay railway tracks and highways for cars next to each other. However, the road under the strait had to be abandoned. First, a car accident in a tunnel is much more likely than a train crash. But the consequences of such an accident in a long underground “pipe” can be serious and paralyze traffic for a long time. Secondly, an armada of cars rushing into the tunnel would inevitably fill it with exhaust fumes, which means a very powerful ventilation system would be required to constantly clean the air. Well, thirdly, it is known that traveling in a tunnel tires the driver. We decided to go with the design, which was described in the 1960 project and finalized in the mid-70s.
Work began on the English coast in December 1987, and on the French coast three months later. Huge machines with rotating cutting heads laid a kilometer a month. In total, the construction of the tunnel took three years.
The tunnels were laid, on average, 45 meters below the seabed. When the two halves of the service tunnel were separated by only 100 meters, a small tunnel was dug by hand to connect them. Until the moment of docking, 120 mine locomotives removed rock from the faces, monthly traveling a distance equal to two distances around the earth. The workers met at the end of 1990.
The completion of the two railway tunnels took place on June 28, 1991. However, do not think that the construction was completely completed. Only the central tunnel was completed. And it was still necessary to dig a second, service tunnel, and also lay rails. More than 2,000 companies took part in the international competition for the right to receive an order for rails for the strait. French customers preferred those made in Russia.
The tunnel was completely opened relatively recently - on May 6, 1994. Queen Elizabeth II herself and President Mitterrand took part in its opening. After the ceremonial part, the Queen took the train and arrived from London Waterloo station to the town of Calais on the French coast. In turn, Mitterrand arrived there from the Gare do Nord station in Paris via Lille. As the locomotives of the two trains stopped nose to nose, the two heads of state cut the blue, white and red ribbons to the sounds of their countries' national anthems, which were performed by the band of the French Republican Guard. Then the British and French delegations in Rolls-Royce cars crossed the tunnel to the British coast, to the town of Folkestone, where exactly the same ceremony took place as on the French side.
Features of the Channel Tunnel
In reality, there are three tunnels: two railway tunnels (one receives trains from France to England, the other from England to France) and one performs operational functions. Currently, this is the fastest route from London to Paris or (about 3). Passenger trains depart regularly from London Waterloo and take you to Paris's Gare du Nord or Brussels' Midi-Zuid.
The diameter of each tunnel is 7.3 meters, the length is about 50 kilometers, of which 37 pass under the water column. All tunnels are clad in dense concrete frames, the walls of which are about 40 centimeters.
Special trains with platforms for cars and carriages for passengers depart every hour. In total, 350 electric locomotives pass through the tunnel per day, which makes it possible to transport more than 200,000 tons of cargo. Cars use the tunnel trains as a moving highway. They enter the carriage at one end and exit at the other after a 35-minute journey. Electric locomotives reach speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour.
There are many incidents associated with the Channel Tunnel. For example, on October 12, 2003, an unknown person was discovered there who lived in a tunnel for ... 2 years, occasionally coming to the surface to stock up on food and water. It is strange that it was not discovered earlier, since a system of internal surveillance cameras is stretched along the entire length of the tunnel.
The following year, an emergency occurred: an employee of the English branch of Eurostar discovered 15 people on the railway tracks. Some of them were wounded, one very seriously. According to a British police spokesman, illegal immigrants (presumably Turks) were most likely found in the tunnel. Apparently, intending to get to England, they climbed into one of the carriages of the freight train while still on the mainland, and then jumped off while moving in the place where the train slows down a little at the exit of the tunnel.
However, such violations are suppressed. For this purpose, there is a serious security service working 24 hours a day.
The entire project cost £10 billion - twice as much as planned. A year after its official opening, Eurotunnel announced losses of £925 million - one of the biggest negative amounts in British corporate history. Additionally, in 1996, freight traffic through the tunnel was suspended for 6 months due to a fire caused by a truck that caught fire.
Although the tunnel project was very expensive and the costs have not yet been recouped, the structure still represents an example of modern engineering excellence, taking safety and functionality into account in equal measure.
The British Isles are separated from the rest of the continent by a narrow channel between the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. We have collected some interesting facts about this narrow isthmus.
We know the strait between France and the British Isles as the English Channel - this is the French name. And the British call it the English Channel - theEnglishChannel , thereby seeming to claim their rights to it. Most other countries use names borrowed from French: for example, "El Canal de la Mancha" in Spanish.
The narrowest point of the English Channel is the Strait of Dover or Pas de Calais: on one side is the city of Dover, on the other is the French coast of the Hauts-de-France region. The width of the strait in this part is only 37 km: the opposite side is clearly visible in good weather.
The English Channel was formed relatively recently by geological standards: only 200 thousand years ago. At that time, in the North Sea area there was a lake bordered by a glacier. The lake's waters burst from behind the glacier and caused a huge flood, which washed away the isthmus between modern Britain and France.
The English Channel had an important protective function for Britain. Although the width of the strait is small, and it could be crossed even on ancient ships (the Romans, Normans, and William of Orange sailed to the islands), the journey was quite difficult. Strong currents, tides, squally winds, and thick fogs destroyed many ships.
Experienced swimmers can swim across the Pas de Calais. The first person to swim across the strait without a life jacket was Briton Matthew Webb, who took almost 22 hours. The time record was set by Australian swimmer Trent Grimsey in 2007 - only 7 hours. What’s surprising is that throughout history, fewer people have crossed the strait than have conquered Everest: only about a thousand people. 
Due to currents and weather, the water temperature in the English Channel does not rise above 18 degrees even in summer, and usually stays around 15-16 degrees in the warm months. At the same time, in winter the strait does not freeze - even ice does not form near the shores. This is explained by the warm Gulf Stream current.
A Eurotunnel was built under Pas-de-Calais, which connects the UK and France - the cities of Dover and Calais. Its length is 51 kilometers, 39 of which lie under water. This is the third longest railway tunnel in the world. It was even included in the list of modern wonders of the world.
Now you know as much about the English Channel as the British. The main thing is not to forget to call it correctly in English – the English Channel, because it’s easy to forget and pronounce the French version, and the British are unlikely to like it.
The English Channel (French laManche - sleeve), also the English Channel (EnglishChannel) is a strait between the coast of France and the island of Great Britain.
Geographical position
At the Pas de Calais it connects the North Sea with the Atlantic Ocean. Length 578 km, width in the west 250 km, in the east 32 km, minimum depth on the fairway 23.5 m. A tunnel was built under the English Channel (between Dover and Calais) (total length 52.5 km, including 38 km under bottom of the strait). Main ports: Portsmouth, Southampton, Le Havre, Cherbourg.
An invincible armada, heading towards destruction.
More than four centuries ago, two fleets met in the narrow English Channel. In essence, it was a clash of two religious systems, a confrontation between two monarchs of the 16th century - the Protestant Queen of England Elizabeth I and the Catholic King of Spain Philip II. The book “The Defeat of the Invincible Armada” notes that “for both the Spaniards and the English, the battle in the English Channel was a holy war against the forces of darkness and darkness, a struggle for life and death” (The Defeat of the Spanish Armada).
For the English of that era, the Spanish Armada was "the most powerful fleet that ever sailed on the high seas." But the armada's expedition turned out to be a tragedy - especially for those many thousands who lost their lives.
Dardanelles
The Dardanelles (obsolete, ancient Greek name - Hellespont) is a strait between the European peninsula of Gallipoli (Turkey) and north-west Asia Minor. The coordinates of the Dardanelles are 40°15" north latitude and 26°31" east longitude.
The strait connects the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara, and together with the Bosphorus with the Black Sea. In ancient times, the Dardanelles were called the Hellespont. The length of the strait is 65 kilometers, width - from 1.3 to 6 kilometers. The average depth is 50 meters. On the Asian coast of the Dardanelles is the port city of Canakkale. Came under Turkish influence in 1352.
Under the 1841 treaty, only Turkish warships were allowed to pass through the Dardanelles. During the First World War, there were heavy battles between Turkey and the Entente for the strategically important Dardanelles.
Strait of Dover, also known as Pas de Calais
Pas de Calais (French Pas de Calais, in English-speaking countries called the Strait of Dover, English Strait of Dover) is a strait between Great Britain and mainland Europe, serving as the entrance to the strait from the North Sea. Length - 37 kilometers, width - from 29 to 32 kilometers, depth - from 21 to 64 meters. Main ports: in Great Britain - Dover, in France - Calais, Boulogne, etc. The Eurotunnel passes under Pas-de-Calais. The strait was formed in the Anthropocene during the subsidence and flooding of land between the mainland and the British Isles.
Strait of Dover regime
The Strait of Dover (Pas de Calais) is of exceptional importance for navigation. Every day a huge flow of ships goes through it both towards the Atlantic Ocean and to the shores of many European countries. It is estimated that 300 thousand ships pass through the Strait of Dover every year, with at least 40 ships in the strait at any one time. Over 90 percent of ships use the approximately 5 mile wide channel between the Warne Bank and the English coast.
The accumulation of a large number of ships in a narrow strait, moving in different directions, is the cause of frequent collisions and accidents in the area. According to estimates by one Norwegian insurer, almost half of all collisions in the world occur in the area stretching from the English Channel to the Elbe River.
In connection with the current situation in this area, at the initiative of the coastal states, the question was raised about clearer regulation of vessel navigation with the establishment of recommended courses and the division of vessel traffic through the Strait of Dover into two streams.
For these purposes, back in 1961, a group of specialists was formed in London, and then in Paris and Hamburg, which was tasked with preparing proposals for improving navigation, navigation fences and creating a special information service on ship traffic in the Strait of Dover. All proposals were submitted for consideration and discussion at meetings of the Maritime Safety Committee of the Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) in order to prepare uniform rules for the navigation of ships in the Strait of Dover and adopt them internationally.
Eurotunnel
A railway tunnel runs under the Strait of Dover and under the English Channel, connecting continental Europe with the UK, opened on May 6, 1994. As a symbol of a uniting Europe, at one time it held the title of the longest tunnel in the world, in this capacity it was replaced by the Seikan Tunnel (connecting the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido). The tunnel has a length of about 51 kilometers, of which 39 are directly at the bottom of the sea. The American Society of Civil Engineers declared the Eurotunnel one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.
