Editing English Channel (section)

== History of Channel crossings ==
{{More citations needed section|date=January 2013}}
As one of the narrowest and most well-known international waterways lacking dangerous currents, the Channel has been the first objective of numerous innovative sea, air, and [[human power]]ed crossing technologies.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chapter 4: Sea Level Rise and Implications for Low-Lying Islands, Coasts and Communities — Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate |url=https://www.ipcc.ch/srocc/chapter/chapter-4-sea-level-rise-and-implications-for-low-lying-islands-coasts-and-communities/ |access-date=2023-06-22}}</ref>
Pre-historic people sailed from the mainland to England for millennia. At the end of the [[last glacial period|last Ice Age]], lower sea levels even permitted [[Doggerland|walking across]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robinson |first=Debbie |title=University of Exeter |url=http://humanities.exeter.ac.uk/archaeology/research/projects/title,89282,en.html |website=humanities.exeter.ac.uk |access-date=3 January 2011 |archive-date=6 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606132746/http://humanities.exeter.ac.uk/archaeology/research/projects/title_89282_en.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="usask">{{Cite web |title=Patterson, W, "Coastal Catastrophe" (paleoclimate research document), University of Saskatchewan |url=http://geochemistry.usask.ca/bill/courses/Climate/Coastal%20catastrophe%20prt.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080409025923/http://geochemistry.usask.ca/bill/courses/Climate/Coastal%20catastrophe%20prt.pdf |archive-date=9 April 2008}}</ref>

=== By boat ===

{| class="wikitable"
!width=120|Date
!Crossing
!Participant(s)
!Notes
|-
|  March 1816
| The French paddle steamer ''[[Steam ship Élise|Élise]]'' (ex Scottish-built Margery or Margory) was the first steamer to cross the Channel.
|
|
|-
| 9 May 1816
| Paddle steamer ''Defiance'', Captain William Wager, was the first steamer to cross the Channel to Holland<ref name="Mariner Mirror">{{Cite journal |last=Dawson |first=Charles |date=February 1998 |title=P. S. Defiance, the first steamer to Holland, 9 May 1816 |journal=The Mariner's Mirror |publisher=The Society for Nautical Research |volume=84 |issue=1 |page=84}}</ref>
|
|
|-
| 10 June 1821
| Paddle steamer ''Rob Roy'', first passenger ferry to cross channel
|
| The steamer was purchased subsequently by the French postal administration and renamed ''Henri IV''.
|-
| June 1843
| First ferry connection through Folkestone-Boulogne
|
| Commanding officer [[Captain Hayward]]
|-
|17 March 1864
|Race between a twin-screw steamer and a paddle steamer carrying mail. This race proved the superiority of screw over paddle.
|The ''Atalanta'' Twin-Screw Steamer and the Dover Mail-Packet ''Empress''<ref name="ILN 1864">{{cite news |title=Race between the New Double-Screw Steamer Atalanta and the Dover Mail-Packet Empress |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/HN3100064081/ILN?u=wes_ttda&sid=ILN&xid=a09e07f1 |access-date=26 February 2021 |work=Vol. 44 |issue=1253 |publisher=The Illustrated London News |date=2 April 1864 |page=319}}</ref>
|The Atalanta newly built by Messrs. J. and W. Dudgeon, of Cubitt Town Yard, Millwall, made the trip from to Dover to Calais in 77 minutes; the Empress, owned by the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway Company took 107 minutes.
|-
| 25 July 1959
| Hovercraft crossing (Calais to Dover, 2 hours 3 minutes)
| [[SR-N1]]
| [[Christopher Cockerell|Sir Christopher Cockerell]] was on board
|-
|1960s
|First crossing by [[water skiing|water ski]].
|colspan="2"|The Varne Boat Club ran an annual cross-channel ski race from the 1960s onwards. The race was from the Varne club in Greatstone on Sea to Cap Gris Nez / Boulogne (latter years) and back. Many waterskiers have made this return crossing non-stop since this time.{{Citation needed|date=August 2015}} Youngest known waterskier to cross the Channel was John Clements aged 10, from the Varne Boat Club on 22 August 1974 who crossed from Littlestone to Boulogne and back without falling.{{Citation needed|date=September 2015}}
|-
| 22 August 1972
| First solo hovercraft crossing (same route as SR-N1; 2&nbsp;hours 20&nbsp;minutes)<ref>Verifiable in Hovercraft Club of Great Britain Records and Archives</ref>
| Nigel Beale (UK)
|
|-
| 1974
| [[Coracle]] (13 and a half hours)
| Bernard Thomas (UK)
| As part of a publicity stunt, the journey was undertaken to demonstrate how the Bull Boats of the Mandan Indians of North Dakota could have been copied from Welsh coracles introduced by Prince Madog in the 12th century.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wales on Britannia: Facts About Wales & the Welsh |url=http://www.britannia.com/celtic/wales/facts/facts7.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011090450/http://www.britannia.com/celtic/wales/facts/facts7.html |archive-date=11 October 2008 |access-date=27 April 2010 |publisher=Britannia.com}}</ref>

|-
| August 1984
| First crossing by [[pedalo]] (8hrs 6mins)
| Ric and Steve Cooper (UK)
| Charity event organized by Littlehampton Rotaract to raise funds for [[Blood Cancer UK|Leukaemia Research]], the [[RNLI]], and other charities in memory of Angie Jones.<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 May 2022 |title=Littlehampton and Basingstoke join forces for the RNLI |url=https://rnli.org/news-and-media/2022/may/03/littlehampton-and-basingstoke-join-forces-for-the-rnli |access-date=June 22, 2023 |website=Royal National Lifeboat Institution}}</ref>
|-
|14 September 1995
|Fastest crossing by [[hovercraft]], 22 minutes by ''Princess Anne''
|MCH SR-N4 MkIII
|Craft was designed as a ferry
|-
| 1997
| First vessel to complete a [[solar-power]]ed crossing using [[photovoltaic cell]]s
| SB ''Collinda''
| —
|-
| 14 June 2004
| New record time for crossing in amphibious vehicle (the [[Gibbs Aquada]], three-seater open-top [[sports car]])
| [[Richard Branson]] (UK)
| Completed crossing in 1 hour 40 minutes 6 seconds – previous record was 6 hours.{{Citation needed|date=January 2015}}
|-
| 26 July 2006
| New record time for crossing in [[hydrofoil]] car (the [[Rinspeed#Splash|Rinspeed Splash]], two-seater open-top [[sports car]])
| Frank M. Rinderknecht (Switzerland)
| Completed crossing in 3 hours 14 minutes<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stuart Waterman |date=27 July 2006 |title=Rinspeed "Splash" sets English Channel record |url=http://www.autoblog.com/2006/07/27/rinspeed-splash-sets-english-channel-record/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100825093638/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/07/27/rinspeed-splash-sets-english-channel-record/ |archive-date=25 August 2010 |access-date=1 November 2008 |publisher=Autoblog}}</ref>
|-
| 25 September 2006
| First crossing on a towed inflatable object (not a powered [[inflatable boat]])
| Stephen Preston (UK)
| Completed crossing in 180 min<ref>{{Cite web |title=Inflatable Drag |url=http://www.stupidsteve.co.uk/inflatable.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121000912/http://www.stupidsteve.co.uk/inflatable.html |archive-date=21 November 2008 |access-date=1 November 2008}}</ref>
|-
| July 2007
| BBC ''[[Top Gear (2002 TV series)|Top Gear]]'' presenters "drive" to France in amphibious cars
| [[Jeremy Clarkson]], [[Richard Hammond]], [[James May]] (UK)
| Completed the crossing in a 1996 [[Nissan Hardbody Truck|Nissan D21]] pick-up (the "Nissank"), fitted with a Honda outboard engine.<ref name="imcdb.org">{{Cite web |title=1996 Nissan Truck [D21&#93; in "Top Gear, 2002–2010" |url=http://imcdb.org/vehicle_132991-Nissan-Pickup-D21-1996.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101205224138/http://imcdb.org/vehicle_132991-Nissan-Pickup-D21-1996.html |archive-date=5 December 2010 |access-date=27 April 2010 |publisher=IMCDb.org}}</ref>
|-
|20 August 2011
|First crossing by [[diver propulsion vehicle]] (sea scooters)
|A four-man relay team from Scarborough, headed by Heath Samples, crossed from Shakespeare Beach to Wissant.{{Citation needed|date=January 2015}}
|It took 12 hours 26 minutes 39 seconds and set a new Guinness World Record.
|}
Pierre Andriel crossed the English Channel aboard the ''[[Steam ship Élise|Élise]]'', ex the Scottish p.s. "Margery" in March 1816, one of the earliest seagoing voyages by [[steamboat|steam ship]].

The paddle steamer ''Defiance'', Captain William Wager, was the first steamer to cross the Channel to Holland, arriving there on 9 May 1816.<ref name="Mariner Mirror" />

On 10 June 1821, English-built [[paddle steamer]] ''Rob Roy'' was the first passenger ferry to cross channel. The steamer was purchased subsequently by the French postal administration and renamed ''Henri IV'' and put into regular passenger service a year later. It was able to make the journey across the Straits of Dover in around three hours.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The History of the Channel Ferry |url=http://www.sailingandboating.co.uk/history-channel-ferry.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903085647/http://www.sailingandboating.co.uk/history-channel-ferry.html |archive-date=3 September 2011 |access-date=20 January 2009 |website=www.sailingandboating.co.uk}}</ref>

In June 1843, because of difficulties with Dover harbour, the South Eastern Railway company developed the [[Boulogne-sur-Mer]]-[[Folkestone]] route as an alternative to Calais-Dover. The first ferry crossed under the command of [[Captain Hayward]].<ref>[http://www.theotherside.co.uk/tm-heritage/background/ferries.htm Channel ferries & ferry ports] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107214821/http://www.theotherside.co.uk/tm-heritage/background/ferries.htm |date=7 January 2009 }} ''theotherside.co.uk'', accessed 28 December 2018</ref>

In 1974 a Welsh coracle piloted by Bernard Thomas of Llechryd crossed the English Channel to France in 13{{frac|1|2}} hours. The journey was undertaken to demonstrate how the [[Bull Boat]]s of the [[Mandan]] Indians of [[North Dakota]] could have been copied from coracles introduced by [[Prince Madog]] in the 12th century.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wales on Britannia: Facts About Wales & the Welsh |url=http://www.britannia.com/celtic/wales/facts/facts7.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011090450/http://www.britannia.com/celtic/wales/facts/facts7.html |archive-date=11 October 2008 |access-date=6 February 2010 |website=www.britannia.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=John |first=Gilbert |date=5 April 2008 |title='Coracle king' to hang up paddle |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/south_west/7331209.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150110084652/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/south_west/7331209.stm |archive-date=10 January 2015 |access-date=10 January 2015 |website=BBC News |publisher=BBC}}</ref>

The [[Mountbatten class hovercraft]] (MCH) entered commercial service in August 1968, initially between Dover and Boulogne but later also [[Ramsgate]] ([[Pegwell Bay]]) to Calais. The journey time Dover to Boulogne was roughly 35&nbsp;minutes, with six trips per day at peak times. The fastest crossing of the English Channel by a commercial car-carrying hovercraft was 22&nbsp;minutes, recorded by the ''Princess Anne'' MCH SR-N4 Mk3 on 14 September 1995,<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 June 1966 |title=Hovercraft deal opens show |work=BBC News |location=London |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/15/newsid_3025000/3025267.stm |url-status=live |access-date=1 November 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101223224314/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/15/newsid_3025000/3025267.stm |archive-date=23 December 2010}}</ref>

=== By air ===
{{Main|List of English Channel crossings by air}}
The first aircraft to cross the Channel was a [[balloon (aircraft)|balloon]] in 1785, piloted by [[Jean-Pierre Blanchard|Jean Pierre François Blanchard]] (France) and [[John Jeffries]] (US).<ref name="EB">"[http://search.eb.com/eb/article-9015591 Blanchard, Jean-Pierre-François]." {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203094306/https://academic.eb.com/ |date=3 December 2022 }}. ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'' Online. Retrieved 17 October 2009.</ref>

[[Louis Blériot]] (France) piloted the first aeroplane to cross in 1909.

On 26 September 2008, Swiss [[Yves Rossy]] aka ''Jetman'' became the first person to cross the English Channel with a [[Jet-powered wingsuit|Jet Powered Wing]],
He jumped from a [[Pilatus Porter]] over [[Calais, France]], Rossy crossed the English Channel where he deployed his parachute and landed in [[Dover]]<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Randerson |first1=James |date=26 September 2008 |title=Jet Man flies across Channel on a wing |newspaper=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2008/sep/26/aeronautics }}</ref>

The first [[flying car]] to have crossed the English Channel is a Pégase designed by the French company Vaylon on 14 June 2017. It was piloted by a Franco-Italian pilot Bruno Vezzoli. This crossing was carried out as part of the first road and air trip from Paris to London in a flying car. Pegase is a 2 seats road approved dune buggy and a [[Paramotor|powered paraglider]]. The takeoff was at 8:03&nbsp;a.m. from [[Ambleteuse]] in the North of France and landing was at East Studdal, near Dover. The flight was completed in 1 hour and 15 minutes for a total distance covered of {{Convert|72.5|km|mi|abbr=on}} including {{Convert|33.3|km|mi|abbr=on}} over the English Channel at an altitude of {{convert|1240|m|ft}} .<ref>{{Cite news |last=Paris |first=Charles Bremner |title=Frenchman flies a car to Dover |newspaper=[[The Times]] |language=en |url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/frenchman-flies-a-car-to-dover-03jdz98ks |access-date=5 August 2020 |issn=0140-0460}}</ref>

On 12 June 1979, the first [[human-powered aircraft]] to cross the English Channel was the ''[[Gossamer Albatross]]'', built by American [[aeronautical engineer]] Dr. [[Paul B. MacCready]]'s company [[AeroVironment]], and piloted by [[Bryan Allen (hang glider)|Bryan Allen]]. The {{convert|35.7|km|adj=on|mi|abbr=on}} crossing was completed in 2 hours and 49 minutes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gossamer Albatross|url=https://www.avinc.com/about/gossamer_albatross/|publisher=AeroVironment, Inc|access-date=March 26, 2015}}</ref>

On 4 August 2019, Frenchman [[Franky Zapata]] became the first person to cross the English Channel on a jet-powered [[Flyboard Air]]. The board was powered by a kerosene-filled backpack. Zapata made the {{Convert|35.4|km|mi|abbr=on}} journey in 22 minutes, having landed on a boat half-way across to refuel.<ref>{{Cite news |title=From France to the UK by flyboard |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-49226353/man-crosses-english-channel-by-flyboard |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190804124419/https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-49226353/man-crosses-english-channel-by-flyboard |archive-date=4 August 2019 |access-date=4 August 2019 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

=== By swimming ===
{{Main|List of successful English Channel swimmers}}
The sport of Channel swimming traces its origins to the latter part of the 19th century when Captain [[Matthew Webb]] made the first observed and unassisted swim across the Strait of Dover, swimming from England to France on 24–25 August 1875 in 21&nbsp;hours 45&nbsp;minutes.

Up to 1927, fewer than ten swimmers (including the first woman, [[Gertrude Ederle]] in 1926) had managed to successfully swim the English Channel, and many dubious claims had been made. The Channel Swimming Association (CSA) was founded to authenticate and ratify swimmers' claims to have swum the Channel and to verify crossing times. The CSA was dissolved in 1999 and was succeeded by two separate organisations: CSA Ltd (CSA) and the Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation (CSPF), both observe and authenticate cross-Channel swims in the Strait of Dover.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation - What is the CS&PF |url=http://cspf.co.uk/ |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation}}</ref>  The Channel Crossing Association was also set up to cater for unorthodox crossings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Regulations {{!}} Channel Swimming Association |url=https://www.channelswimmingassociation.com/swim-advice/regulations |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=www.channelswimmingassociation.com |language=en}}</ref>

The team with the most Channel swims to its credit is the [[The Serpentine|Serpentine]] Swimming Club in London,<ref>serpentineswimmingclub.com {{Cite web |title=Serpentine Swimming Club |url=http://serpentineswimmingclub.com/long-distance-swimmers |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150912055658/http://serpentineswimmingclub.com/long-distance-swimmers/ |archive-date=12 September 2015 |access-date=4 June 2015}}</ref> followed by the international [[Sri Chinmoy]] Marathon Team.<ref>srichinmoyraces.org {{Cite web |title=Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team |url=http://www.srichinmoyraces.org/channel/channel_swimmers/channel_swimmers_list |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090317091724/http://www.srichinmoyraces.org/channel/channel_swimmers/channel_swimmers_list |archive-date=17 March 2009 |access-date=4 June 2015}}</ref>

As of 2023, 1,881 people had completed 2,428 verified solo crossings under the rules of the CSA and the CSPF.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Channel swimming facts and statistics {{!}} Dover.UK.com |url=https://www.dover.uk.com/channel-swimming/statistics |access-date=2023-05-05 |website=www.dover.uk.com}}</ref> This includes 24 two-way crossings and three three-way crossings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation - Solo Swims Statistics |url=http://cspf.co.uk/ |access-date=2024-03-02 |website=Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation}}</ref>

The Strait of Dover is the busiest stretch of water in the world. It is governed by International Law as described in ''Unorthodox Crossing of the Dover Strait Traffic Separation Scheme''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Unorthodox Crossing of the Dover Strait Traffic Separation Scheme |url=http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcga07-home/emergencyresponse/mcga-searchandrescue/mcga-hmcgsar-sarsystem/channel_navigation_information_service__cnis_/dops_-_all-sar_cnis_unorthodox_crossings.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110202020122/http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcga07-home/emergencyresponse/mcga-searchandrescue/mcga-hmcgsar-sarsystem/channel_navigation_information_service__cnis_/dops_-_all-sar_cnis_unorthodox_crossings.htm |archive-date=2 February 2011 |access-date=1 November 2008 |publisher=[[Maritime and Coastguard Agency]]}}</ref> It states: "[In] exceptional cases the French Maritime Authorities may grant authority for unorthodox craft to cross French territorial waters within the Traffic Separation Scheme when these craft set off from the British coast, on condition that the request for authorisation is sent to them with the opinion of the British Maritime Authorities."

The fastest verified swim of the Channel was by the Australian [[Trent Grimsey]] on 8 September 2012, in 6 hours 55 minutes,<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 September 2012 |title=Trent Grimsey breaks channel swim record |url=http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-sport/trent-grimsey-breaks-channel-swim-record-20120909-25lsh.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109065958/http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-sport/trent-grimsey-breaks-channel-swim-record-20120909-25lsh.html |archive-date=9 November 2012 |access-date=13 September 2012 |website=The Age}}</ref><ref name=records>{{Cite web |title=Channel swimming records - Dover.UK.com |url=http://www.dover.uk.com/channelswimming/records.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120817175330/http://www.dover.uk.com/channelswimming/records.php |archive-date=17 August 2012 |access-date=13 September 2012 |website=www.dover.uk.com}}</ref> beating a swim of 2007.  The female record is held by [[Yvetta Hlavacova]] of Czechia, on 7 hours, 25 minutes on 5 August 2006.<ref name=records/> Both records were from England to France.<ref name=records/>

There may have been some unreported swims of the Channel, by people intent on entering Britain in circumvention of immigration controls.  A failed attempt to cross the Channel by two Syrian refugees in October 2014 came to light when their bodies were discovered on the shores of the North Sea in Norway and the Netherlands.<ref>{{Citation |last=Fjellberg |first=Anders |title=The Wetsuitmen |url=http://www.dagbladet.no/spesial/vatdraktmysteriet/eng/ |year=2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150728074722/http://www.dagbladet.no/spesial/vatdraktmysteriet/eng/ |access-date=25 July 2015 |archive-date=28 July 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== By car ===
On 16 September 1965, two [[Amphicar]]s crossed from Dover to Calais.<ref>Autocar article entitled Cars Ahoy published 10 December 1965</ref>

=== Other types ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Date
!Crossing
!Participant(s)
!Notes
|-
| 17 October 1851
| First submarine cable for telegraph across the Channel in September laid from [[St Margaret's at Cliffe|St. Margaret's Bay]], England to [[Sangatte]], France (commonly referred to as the Dover to Calais cable)
| [[Thomas Russell Crampton]] (engineer), financed by [[Charlton James Wollaston]] in a private partnership with others, entitled "Wollaston et Compagnie".
| The first international [[submarine cable]] in the world, in use until 1859. 21 nautical miles distance needed 24 + 1 n. miles of cable spliced.<ref>[http://distantwriting.co.uk/competitorsallies.aspx The European & American Electric Type-Printing Telegraph Company] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121206224601/http://distantwriting.co.uk/competitorsallies.aspx |date=6 December 2012 }} distantwriting.co.uk, retrieved 14 August 2019.</ref>
|-
| 27 March 1899
| First radio transmission across the Channel (from [[Wimereux]] to [[South Foreland Lighthouse]])
| [[Guglielmo Marconi]] (Italy)
|
|}

[[PLUTO]] was war-time fuel delivery project of "pipelines under the ocean" from England to France. Though plagued with technical difficulties during the Battle of Normandy, the pipelines delivered about 8% of the fuel requirements of the Allied forces between D-Day and VE-Day.