Editing English Channel (section)

=== 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>