Why is the English Channel the top open water swim and such a hard swim?
A.There are a lot of factors that combine to make the swim hard. The English Channel is approximately -19 nautical miles (38000 yards) or 35 kilometres (35000 mtrs) – wide at its narrowest point (actually 18.2 nm from Shakespeare Beach, Dover to Cap Gris Nez, France). Most swims are a little longer to the landing on either side. The Tides are strong and change direction approximately every 6 hours. (See News – training – general & Nav.
