Facts of Swimming the English Channel

The water is about 58 to 62 degrees F in August... THAT'S COLD!

The swim will take between 20 and 24 hours

I will need to feed every hour or so to maintain energy stores.  I cannot touch the boat at all!  I must tread water while feeding.  Typically, the feeding schedule is preset and my crew will signal to me that it is time for a feeding.  They will throw a water bottle tied to a line about 10 feet in front of me.  I will try to consume 500 to 700 calories per hour of a maltodextrin (carbohydrate) mix - I like Perpetuem, a Hammer product.  The feeding should take place in 30 seconds or so and I will need to ensure a proper balance of water and carbs.

I will need to urinate throughout the swim.  While it may sound disgusting, I have heard of a swimmer who did not urinate on a 12 hour swim and wound up with renal failure....I will choose to pee with the fishes!  The carbohydrate mix has worked well for me in the past, as it is easily digested and absorbed in the bloodstream for direct energy use...therefore minimizing, and in my case so far, preventing other bodily functions throughout my swims.

Shakespeare Beach, Dover to Cap Gris Nez, France is the shortest route at 21 miles

There is a tidal shift every 6 hours taking you sideways faster than you are progressing forwards - it will be a zigzag path to cross one-way.

The English Channel is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, with over 600 shipping movements and hundreds more ferry and Seacat crossings every day

I will encounter seaweed, flotsam, jetsam and jellyfish... THEY STING!

I am only allowed to wear a standard swim suit, cap, goggles, ear plugs and of course petroleum jelly to prevent chafing

The weather is always uncertain and local conditions can change in a very short time (30 minutes).

I will have an authorized support boat and crew; this will be Neil Streeter with his boat Suva (pictured below). Also on board will be Neal's crew and an official observer from the CS&PF www.channelswimming.net.  I will also have Lou D'Alise, Russ Albert and Jessica Gandy on board to feed, monitor, video and cheer!