Channel Swimmers
	Introduction
	The Pioneers
	Early Attempts
	Between the Wars
	1950s Heyday
	The Museum's Collection
	Records and Firsts
	Sam Rockett

Information Resources Home Page

Online Exhibition

Swimming the Channel

Records and Firsts

1872

First attempt to swim the Channel
J. B. Johnson (England)
Abandoned after 1 hour 3 mins

1875

First 'swim' single-handed crossing
Captain Paul Boyton (USA).
In inflatable rubber suit with canvas sail fixed to left boot and double-bladed paddle. 23 ½ hours.

1875

First man to swim the Channel
Matthew Webb (England)
England to France. 21 3/4 hours. 24 August

1890

First man to swim Channel, France to England
Davis Dalton (USA)
Debated and unconfirmed

1923

Slowest crossing of the Channel
Henry Sullivan (USA)
26 hours, 50 minutes

First man to swim Channel, France to England (confirmed)
Enrico Tiraboschi (Argentina)
16 ½ hours. 12 August

1926

First woman to swim the Channel
Gertrude Ederle (USA)

1927

First man to have swum the Channel both ways
E. H. Temme (England)

1933

First attempt by a limbless swimmer
Charles Zibelman ('Zimmy the Human Fish')
Failed due to jellyfish sting
(in 1990, Lucy Krajewska (Poland) made the first successful crossing by a legless person)

1934

First man to swim Channel twice
E. H. Temme (England)
1927 and 1934

1935

First relay team crossing
Team of 6 Calais swimmers

1951

First woman to swim the Channel twice and to have swum both ways
Florence Chadwick (USA)
1950 and 1951

xd02831.jpg (14521 bytes)
Florence Chadwick and Jack 'Pop' Burwill, channel pilot for many channel swimming attempts

1951

First crossing by a grandmother
Betty Cohn (aged 50)

1952

Shortest ever attempt
Bruno Tajana, a Swiss swimmer, gave up after 100 yards (water was knee-deep)

1953

Greatest non-race attempt
Butlins Channel Race of 5th August - 8 competitors, 2 did not start, 6 did not finish

1954

First person to die swimming the Channel
Ted May (England)
Drowned whilst attempting an unescorted crossing

1961

First man to swim both ways non-stop
Antonio Abertondo (Argentina)
43 hours 5 mins

1962

First man to swim the Channel underwater
Fred Baldasare (USA)
19 hours 1 min in frogmans suit

1981

First non-stop 3-way crossing
Jon Erikson (USA)

1987

Oldest swimmer to cross the Channel
Clifford Batt (Australia), aded 67

1988

Youngest swimmer to cross the channel
Thomas Gregory (England), aged 11 years
(Since 1994 the rules forbid solo attempts by swimmers under the age of 14

Conditions of use

The contents of this site, including all images and text, are for personal, educational, non-commercial use only. The contents of this site may not be reproduced in any form without the permission of Dover Museum.

Market Square, Dover, Kent, CT16 1PB Tel: 01304 201066 Fax: 01304 241186 E-mail: museumenquiries@dover.gov.uk