11 Fun Facts about the English Channel!

1. The shortest route across the Channel is from Dover, England, to Cap Gris Nez in France.

2. ​The first crossing: Captain Matthew Webb in 21 hours 45 minutes on 24 August 1875

3. The first female crossing: Gertrude Ederle of the USA on 6 August 1926

4. The most ever crossings: Alison Streeter MBE ("Queen of the Channel"), UK, with 46 crossings

5. The youngest ever swimmer: Thomas Gregory, 11 years 11 months, in 11 hours 54 minutes (a minimum age limit of 16 is now enforced)

6. The oldest swimmer: Roger Allsopp of Guernsey, 70 years 147 days, in 17 hours 51 minutes.

7. Fastest ever one-way solo swim: Trent Grimsey of Australia in six hours 55 minutes

8. Longest ever one-way solo swim: Jackie Cobell of the UK in 28 hours 44 minutes

9. A total of 1341 swimmers have completed a total of 1801 solo swims

10. Average solo crossing time: 13 hours 24 minutes

11. Fatalities: There have been eight fatalities in the history of Channel swimming since 1845

For more information on how to become a Channel swimmer, visit the Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation website.