What do Italians call pas de calais? Where is the English Channel? Geographical location of the English Channel

On the eve of six years since the swim across the English Channel, I decided to post some materials from my old website paulkuz.ru, updating them and providing comments. There will be several posts with pictures. So, if anyone is not interested, do not read.

So, first of all, about what the English Channel is and swimming through it (like, help).

The English Channel (Strait of Dover, English Channel, Pas de Calais) is a classic distance for marathon swimming. It was first officially crossed in 1875 by Captain Matthew Webb of the British merchant fleet.

Matthew Webb swam breaststroke (the crawl had not yet been invented), fed on broth along the way, and crossed the strait in 21 hours 45 minutes!

Since then, in 138 years, just over 1,000 people have successfully swam across the strait (some in two or even three directions without stopping). Until recently, among them there was not a single citizen of Russia, the USSR or the Russian Empire. In recent years, several dozen attempts have been made every season - approximately 65-70% of them are successful.

Monument to Channel Swimmers in Dover Harbour. Please note: they swim crawl and in both directions.

The swim takes from 6 hours 58 minutes. (still unbroken record from 2007) up to 26+ hours, usually from 12 to 16 hours. The time depends not only on the swimmer, but also no less on the weather and the skill of the escort boat pilot. The swim is registered by representatives of the Channel Swimming Association (CSA, exists since 1926) or the Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation (CS&PF, exists since 1998) with a mandatory hiring a boat with an escort team that provides swimmer safety, navigation, nutrition and psychological support, as well as returning the swimmer to the starting point. Without the presence of representatives of the Association or Federation, the swim is not registered.

An example of messages from the support team that a swimmer sees with peripheral vision.

Important: these are not competitive, but solo swims. The last time competitions across the English Channel were held in the early 50s, they are now impossible due to intense shipping in the strait. In addition to solo swims, relay swims are now also held (from 2 to 6 people, each swims in turn for 1 hour, the rest wait on the boat), but this is a special discipline.

An example of a swimmer feeling unwell while waiting his turn during a relay race across the English Channel.

The start time of the swim is generally determined by the end of the tide, which shifts every day by approximately one hour. The exact time and place of the stratum is determined each time by the pilot of the escort boat. The launch day is determined based on the strength of tidal currents. About a week of strong currents (spring tides) is followed by a week of weak currents (neap tides), during which swims are made. But even within this “window” the strength of the currents varies from day to day. This is influenced by external weather conditions - wind strength and wave height. An ideal day - with calm and weak currents - is extremely rare. Therefore, the time results, by and large, are not comparable even for one swimmer, since the swims are performed under different conditions each time.

A swimmer who has proven the ability to swim for six hours in 16 degrees of water is allowed to participate in the swim. Celsius or lower. The results of the swimmer's medical examination are also required.

An example of a multi-hour training session in Dover Harbour.

According to the Association/Federation rules, a swimmer is allowed to wear swimming goggles, a regular swimsuit/swimsuit (armless and legless) and a cap that does not provide the swimmer with additional warmth or buoyancy. Those. Wetsuits cannot be used. This is done to ensure comparability of swim results in different years. After all, the very first swimmer across the English Channel swam without a wetsuit! It is allowed to apply special fat (Channel grease) to the body. It does not provide additional heat, but protects the swimmer’s body from direct contact with an aggressive environment. It can be ordered at the pharmacy (90% lanolin, 10% petroleum jelly). The use of waterproof players and other gadgets that assist the swimmer is prohibited. Well, doping, of course, is also prohibited. "Selective doping controls are being carried out."

Example of a pharmacy prescription for Channel grease. The doctor's instructions are to apply "to the skin of the body." Where else?

An example of applying a fat mixture to a swimmer’s body. The assistant uses rubber gloves.

Particular difficulties of swimming across the English Channel:
- length of the distance (33 km in a straight line, due to currents the distance can increase to 40-50 km, since in reality the swimmer swims along an S-shaped curve due to lateral tidal currents);
- water temperature (from 15 to 18 degrees Celsius in the season from July 1 to September 15);
- intense shipping traffic in the strait (about 700 ships cross it per day);
- aggressive environment (low water temperature, salt water as a strong irritant, abundance of algae, jellyfish, etc.);
- rely only on one’s own strength: the swimmer should not touch other people or objects (boats, etc.) during the swim.
- ebbs and flows, creating additional currents in the strait;
- wind, waves, darkness (the swim often begins and ends in the dark).

Regular nutrition for the swimmer is provided from the escort boat by passing bottles on a rope or cups on a telescopic pole.

An example of nutrition during a swim across the English Channel. Recreational swimmers initially feed every hour, then every 30 minutes. Professionals initially feed every 20 minutes, then even more often.

The swimmer's task is to find the optimum between a fast enough swimming pace to avoid hypothermia, and the need to economically distribute forces over this ultra-long distance. Stopping even for one extra minute during a swim can easily lead to hypothermia and an unsuccessful outcome. Therefore, the most important role is played by the swimmer’s properly selected and well-organized nutrition during the swim (usually liquid carbohydrates).

The main rule is that during the entire swim the swimmer must not touch the escort boat and the people on it, otherwise he will be disqualified by the official observers on the boat.

An example of an official observer recording a swim across the English Channel.

The swim begins on the British coast, the swimmer must completely emerge from the water and begin swimming at a signal. The finish is also counted when the swimmer is completely out of the water on the French shore.

Example: after a swim, a swimmer is wrapped in warm clothes, because outside the water he begins to “prick” from hypothermia. Nearby is a bucket in case of an attack of seasickness.

Channel swimming is a risky sport and involves the potential for death of the participant. The penultimate time this happened was on August 11, 2001, when at the 17th hour of the swim “visual contact was lost” with swimmer Ueli Staub (Switzerland). And the last time - this year, just a month ago on July 21, 45-year-old Irishman Paraic Casey drowned literally 1 km from the French coast at 1.30 am. His body was never found. And this, despite the fact that the swimmer attaches a glow stick to his swimming trunks at night so that he can be clearly seen in the water!

Since 1995, swims, at the request of the French authorities, have been carried out only in the direction from Great Britain to France (that is, starting from France is prohibited), usually starting from the Shakespeare Rocks area near Dover (UK) and finishing on a 30-kilometer coastline in the area of ​​Cape Gris-Nez (from Calais to Boulogne-sur-Mer, France).

The uncertainty about the finish location is due to stronger currents off the French coast due to shallow waters. The French banned the starts supposedly for safety reasons, but the real reason was that there were too few French participants and too many British participants.

An example of a traditional starting point is Shakespeare's Rock, from where, according to legend, King Lear threw himself into the sea.

An example of a traditionally desirable finish place in France is the rocky coastline at Cape Gray Nose (Gri-net). After many hours of swimming, it is often difficult to climb out onto the rocks to officially complete the swim.

In fact, statistics show that sailing from France to the UK is easier, since the most difficult section with strong currents is overcome in the first hours of the swim, when the applicant is still full of strength. It is much worse when, in a semi-conscious state, the swimmer can already see the treasured coast of France 3-5 km away, and it will take not two, but five, or even more hours to swim to it.

An example of a recreational swimmer's trajectory: The English Channel punishes slow swimmers with side currents. But the Japanese Miyuki - and this is her card - tried to swim "both ways". The blue curve is a one-way training swim. Red curve - in two ends (she didn’t swim a little, her legs cramped). The dots mark the position of the swimmer every hour of the swim.

Due to crossing the maritime border between the UK and France, a swimmer is not required to have a French visa. The progress of the swim is being monitored in real time by French coastal authorities. Upon completion, the swimmer must immediately leave French territory and be transported by escort boat back to the UK.

An example of swimmers changing clothes after training in the waters of the English Channel. A special wrap with an elastic band is used to make it more convenient to change clothes in the cold wind.

The first Russian to cross the English Channel by swimming was Pavel Kuznetsov (35 years old at the time of the swim, Moscow). The swim took place from August 22 to 23, 2006, the swim time was 14 hours 33 minutes 25 seconds. Finished in France on a sandy beach between the town of Sangatte and Calais at 01:20. August 23, 2006. The start took place from Abbots Beach, near Dover (UK) at 10:47 am. morning of the previous day. The sea state during the swim ranged from 2 to 4 on the Beaufort scale, and the last four and a half hours passed in complete darkness. The distance in a straight line was 42 km, water temperature: 16.8-17.2 degrees.


An example of a swimmer somewhere in the middle of the English Channel. Excitement 3 points according to Beaufort.

Another example of a swimmer in the Channel waters, about 5 km from the White Cliffs of Dover.

A year later, with the support of Russian people who were interested in marathon swimming and the British Embassy in Moscow, a swim was organized by the best Russian marathon runners at that time - Natalia Pankina and Yuri Kudinov - with the aim of setting a world record for the distance. Despite very good results (7 hours 05 minutes 42 seconds for Yuri, on August 24 and 8 hours 11 minutes for Natalia, on August 26), the record was not achieved. Also in 2007, Alla Kassidy, a Russian woman living in the UK, successfully swam the English Channel on her second attempt. (13:07, September 6). A year later, Natalia made a second attempt at the world record, but due to weather conditions, she stopped the swim after 6 hours and 14 minutes.

Since then, Russians have not swam across the English Channel.

An example of the swim trajectory of a professional swimmer (Yu. Kudinova)

Geographical position

Crossing the English Channel by swimming

Swimmers across the English Channel cross it in difficult conditions: cold water (15-18 degrees in summer), waves and wind (swims take place in waves up to 4 on the Beaufort scale inclusive), as well as currents caused by tides. In this regard, over the entire history of the English Channel, about 900 people were able to cross the English Channel (as of the beginning of 2008) - this is less than the number of people who conquered Everest.

The first swimmer in human history to cross the English Channel was British swimmer Matthew Webb in 1875 in 21 hours and 45 minutes. The first woman swam across the strait in 1926 in 14 hours 39 minutes (Gertrude Ederle, USA).

USSR athletes did not swim across the strait.

The first Russian to cross the strait is amateur swimmer Pavel Kuznetsov (36 years old) (August 22-23, 2006, 14 hours 33 minutes 25 seconds). On August 24, 2007, Russian Yuri Kudinov set the third time in the world standings at 7 hours 5 minutes. 42 sec. In 2007, two Russians also crossed the strait: on August 26 - Natalya Pankina (8 hours 11 minutes) and on September 6 - Alla Kassidy (13 hours 7 minutes).

The record among men belongs to the Bulgarian swimmer Petr Stoychev (2007, 6 hours 57 minutes 50 seconds); among women – Czech swimmer Ivetta Hlaváčová (2006, 7 hours 25 minutes 15 seconds).

The slowest swims through the strait are also noted. The record is 26 hours 50 minutes. (Henry Sullivan, USA, 1923).

The first Azerbaijani to swim across the bay in 2009 is Emin Dowhulo (2009, 8 hours 23 minutes 55 seconds)

see also

• Eurotunnel, Channel Tunnel.
• Louis Blériot, first man to fly the English Channel

Links

• "Russian English Channel" (about swims across the English Channel by Russian athletes)
• La-Manche (a blog for those who are planning to swim the English Channel and sympathizers)

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

See what "La Manche" is in other dictionaries:

Manche Manche More Information Number 50 Region Basse-Normandie ... Wikipedia

manche-a-botte- manche à bottes. Wide turn-down cuffs of narrow French justocores from the 70s to the 90s. 17th century Mertsalova 2 427 …

Manche après la cone- *manche après la cognée. Quit what you started; give up on everything. Retzker. Among the English, impudence does not exclude patience, as among some nations of the continent, who are constantly ready to abandon le manche après la cognée when failure occurs. A. Ionych Saltpeter King.... ... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language

Manche pagodas- * manche pagode. Sleeve that flares downward. Figure 3 shows a plush visite, which can be peau de loutre or black, with beaver trim on the collar and sleeves, reminiscent of the former manche pagode. New 1885 7 Mosaic… … Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language

This term has other meanings, see Manche (meanings). Manche Manche ... Wikipedia

Robert Norman Munsch, English. Robert Norman Munsch, (born June 11, 1945 (19450611), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an American-born Canadian children's writer. Contents 1 Biography 2 Awards ... Wikipedia

- ... Wikipedia

- (Manche) department in northwestern France, in the hills of the Cotentin Peninsula. Area 6.4 thousand km2. Population 453 thousand people (1971). The administrative center is the city of Saint Lo. Livestock region; occupied under pastures... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

- (La M.) dpt. all in. parts of France, along the shore of the Strait. La M.: 6411 sq. km., the population in 1901 was 491,372. The main city. S. Lo (6500 inhabitants); Cherbourg is more significant (42,938 inhabitants). The climate is maritime, humid, with an even, relatively warm temperature.… … Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Ephron

Manche- (Manche) Manche, department in the region of Basse-Normandie in the west. France; pl. 5938 sq. km, 479,640 people. (1990); adm. center Saint Lo... Countries of the world. Dictionary

Coordinates: 50°11′01″ N. w. 0°31′52″ W d. / 50.183611° n. w. 0.531111° W d. ... Wikipedia

Books

• Bridges across the English Channel. British literature 1900 - 2000, Reingold Natalya Igorevna. The book includes rare materials related to English literature of the twentieth century - the author’s interviews with Iris Murdoch, John Fowles, Martin Amis and Piers Paul Reid, as well as essays about famous...

On May 6, 1994, a unique tunnel was opened that connected the territories of Great Britain and France underwater. This event had important economic, cultural and geopolitical significance, and, it is worth noting, not only positive. However, the strait English Channel has always played an important role in relations between England and continental Europe. A huge flow of goods has been transported from the mainland to the island using ferries since ancient times, so the question of a new type of transport communication arose in the 19th century.

There were many tunnel projects, they even began to build it several times, but work was suspended because of various external, including imaginary threats, then resumed them. Successful construction started at the end 1980s . The tunnel was laid from two sides at once - British and French. The project was completed in seven years, and the journey from the continent to Her Majesty's Island by train now takes an average of 2 hours 15 minutes. Of these, the composition spends 30 minutes under water.

Strait length English Channel - 578 kilometers, width - from 32 to 250 kilometers. The largest islands are Wight off the coast of Great Britain and the Channel Islands off the French coast. The word "English Channel" was borrowed from the French name ( la Manche; manche- “not a wide strait, sleeve”), which has been used at least since the 17th century.

Risky swims across the strait are popular- of course, through its narrowest part. These places are cold - even in summer the water temperature is only about 15 degrees Celsius. In addition, there is always a strong wind blowing here, and the sea is choppy. The athletes’ task is further complicated by the strong current. Over the course of its history, about a thousand people have been able to cross the English Channel. The record among men belongs to Australian Trent Grimsey (6 hours 55 minutes), among women - to Czech swimmer Ivetta Hlaváčová (7 hours 25 minutes). And the British Alison Streeter swam across the strait as many as 43 times, for which she was awarded the honorary title of Queen of the English Channel. It is curious that for more than 20 years the French authorities have prohibited such swims because swimmers interfere with shipping. However, the British do not have such a ban.

Eurotunnel (Channel Tunnel and sometimes justEuro Tunnel ) has a length of 51 kilometers, 39 of which pass under the strait. This is the third longest railway tunnel in the world. Only Seikan (53.85 km, Japan) and the Gotthard Tunnel (57.1 km, Switzerland) are ahead of it. But the Eurotunnel holds the unconditional record for its length under water. It is also the longest international tunnel.

It is curious that during the construction of the Eurotunnel, 8 million cubic meters of rock were removed. Each country disposed of its portion of the “waste” in its own way. France simply washed the soil back into the sea, but the British made an artificial Cape Shakespeare from deep-sea rock, on which a park was subsequently built.

A line has been built for the EurotunnelTGV LGV Nord Europe ( Paris - London ). Train traffic here is on the left, as on other railways in France and Great Britain.

In total, 4 types of trains run in the tunnel. High-speed passenger trains TGV Eurostar connect London, Paris and Brussels. To passenger shuttle trains Eurotunnel Shuttle You can board with your own car, and passengers remain inside the cars during boarding. In addition, there are freight trains that transport trucks and containers.

On land the train moves quickly, at a speed of 300 km/h, and in the tunnel it slows down to 160 km/h. There are two main tracks and one spare track inside the tunnel. A special ventilation system allows you to avoid air jams and other negative effects that can occur when the train moves so rapidly.

There have been incidents in the history of the tunnel's operation.. For example, in 1996 there was a major fire here. There were no casualties - the English and French rescue services worked promptly. Subsequently, there were several more major fires, and after them the tunnel was closed for several months. Occasionally, due to technical failures, trains stop in the tunnel. This usually does not lead to any problems, but people who suffer from claustrophobia experience serious discomfort.

Eurotunnel - one of the most ambitious projects of the 20th century, but it still has not paid off financially, so large were the costs of its construction. During construction, the tunnel almost doubled in price, and ultimately cost the governments of Great Britain and France 10 billion pounds sterling.

Day tours are popular among tourists economy class between Paris, London and Brussels using the Eurotunnel. By plane it is more expensive and takes about eight hours longer, and the journey by air is less convenient due to transfers and long waits at airports.

Photo: Jason Langley / Getty Images (in the announcement), Philip Haynes / Getty Images, Pool BASSIGNAC/DEVILLE/GAILLARDE / Contributor / Getty Images, API / Contributor / Getty Images, WYSOCKI Pawel / Getty Images, Alain Nogues (x2) / Contributor / Getty Images, Andia / Contributor / Getty Images, Chris Ison - PA Images / Contributor / Getty Images, Frederic REGLAIN / Contributor / Getty Images

The British Isles are separated from the rest of the continent by a narrow channel between the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. We have collected some interesting facts about this narrow isthmus.

We know the strait between France and the British Isles as the English Channel - this is the French name. And the British call it the English Channel - theEnglishChannel , thereby seeming to claim their rights to it. Most other countries use names borrowed from French: for example, "El Canal de la Mancha" in Spanish.

The narrowest point of the English Channel is the Strait of Dover or Pas de Calais: on one side is the city of Dover, on the other is the French coast of the Hauts-de-France region. The width of the strait in this part is only 37 km: the opposite side is clearly visible in good weather.

The English Channel was formed relatively recently by geological standards: only 200 thousand years ago. At that time, in the North Sea area there was a lake bordered by a glacier. The lake's waters burst from behind the glacier and caused a huge flood, which washed away the isthmus between modern Britain and France.

The English Channel had an important protective function for Britain. Although the width of the strait is small, and it could be crossed even on ancient ships (the Romans, Normans, and William of Orange sailed to the islands), the journey was quite difficult. Strong currents, tides, squally winds, and thick fogs destroyed many ships.

Experienced swimmers can swim across the Pas de Calais. The first person to swim across the strait without a life jacket was Briton Matthew Webb, who took almost 22 hours. The time record was set by Australian swimmer Trent Grimsey in 2007 - only 7 hours. What’s surprising is that throughout history, fewer people have crossed the strait than have conquered Everest: only about a thousand people.

Due to currents and weather, the water temperature in the English Channel does not rise above 18 degrees even in summer, and usually stays around 15-16 degrees in the warm months. At the same time, in winter the strait does not freeze - even ice does not form near the shores. This is explained by the warm Gulf Stream current.

A Eurotunnel was built under Pas-de-Calais, which connects the UK and France - the cities of Dover and Calais. Its length is 51 kilometers, 39 of which lie under water. This is the third longest railway tunnel in the world. It was even included in the list of modern wonders of the world.

Now you know as much about the English Channel as the British. The main thing is not to forget to call it correctly in English – the English Channel, because it’s easy to forget and pronounce the French version, and the British are unlikely to like it.

The English Channel, which separates the coasts of France and Great Britain, has always played a very important role in history. Many peoples sought to lay claim to this narrow strait, which was reflected in the difference in its names. The ancient Greeks called the water isthmus “Oceanus Britannicus”, the Portuguese and Spaniards called it the Canal da Mancha, the Italians called it La Manica, and in the German lands the strait was called Ermelkanal. But the modern name comes from the French language, translated from which the name of the strait means “sleeve”. Although residents of the British Isles stubbornly continue to call it the English Channel.

The English Channel (together with Pas de Calais) connects the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, has a relatively short length of 578 km, and its width ranges from 32 to 250 km.

History of the English Channel

The English Channel has always been at the center of historical events, since control over it provided great advantages: it was the shortest route both to the Baltic Sea and to the shores of Britain. Sailing along the strait was fraught with many difficulties - the weather here is very changeable, strong winds often blow, and thick fogs descend. Combined with the complex nature of the currents and high tides, navigating this waterway has always been a challenge. But the trade and political significance of the strait outweighed all obstacles.

Despite the treacherous nature of the English Channel, many conquerors were able to overcome it. Back in the first century, the ancient Romans crossed the strait, in 1066 the Normans landed on the coast of Britain, and in the 17th century - William of Orange. But still, the isthmus of water protected the British well: scientists believe that at the bottom of the strait there are the skeletons of tens of thousands of ships from different times and peoples.

From the mid-16th century, English monarchs established tight control over the English Channel, using frequent storms and their rebuilt ships to defend against encroaching Spanish and French fleets. The port of Dover played a special role in the defense of the strait.

However, with the advent of airplanes, the strait ceased to be a reliable barrier for enemy troops, and the creation of submarines further aggravated the situation. The British had to resort to a complete naval blockade of Germany in 1918 to avert the threat of invasion of the islands.

German troops returned to the English Channel at the start of World War II, despite the impossibility of using large ships there (the strait was too shallow for them). Realizing that a direct invasion was impossible, the Nazis laid many minefields and fought in the strait using submarines, and also shelled the shore.

At the beginning of 1940, British troops were evacuated to the islands from the continent during Operation Dynemo, which went down in history as the largest military rescue operation. The Nazis created the strongest fortifications on the continental coast (“Atlantic Wall”) and occupied several islands in the strait. These fortifications were recaptured from the Germans during the Allied landings in Normandy in 1944.

After the end of the war, the English Channel began to play a key role in uniting Great Britain and continental Europe - a huge flow of goods was transported using ferries. There was a need for a new type of transport communication, and in 1973 a project to build an underwater tunnel was launched. Such projects existed before: in 1802 it was proposed by the French engineer A. Mathieu-Favier, and in 1876 and 1922 construction even began, which was stopped due to various political problems.

Construction was carried out from two sides - English and French, and the accuracy of passage in the tunnel was controlled by a laser positioning system. On May 6, 1994, the underground route was opened and given the name. Now the journey from the continent to the island takes 2 hours and 15 minutes, and the train travels under water for about half an hour.

The strait today

Nowadays, the strait still plays a huge role in the life of the peoples inhabiting its shores and islands, preserving its history and traditions.

Some historical sights have been preserved on the banks of the English Channel: the 13th-century Cornet castle, forts, the ruins of the Atlantic Wall, and the Brittany lighthouses. The Heard's Deep depression at the bottom of the strait is notorious - during the First World War the British sank chemical weapons in it.

On the island of Sark in the English Channel, until 2008, there was a feudal system of government, the only one in Europe, when the island was governed by elders.

The English Channel has always been of interest to athletes and explorers. In 1909, the French pilot Blériot flew over the strait for the first time and landed in Dover, and in 1912 his flight was repeated by the first woman, the American G. Quimby. In 1974, Welsh explorer B. Thomas crossed the English Channel in an Indian bull boat, seeking to prove the common origin of Welsh and Indian boats.

The conquest of the capricious strait took place not only by means of vehicles - about 900 people crossed it by swimming, fighting high waves, currents and wind, while being in water with a temperature of no higher than 18 degrees.

The championship in this overcoming belongs to the British M. Webb, who swam the English Channel in 21 hours 45 minutes. in 1875. The time record belongs to the Bulgarian P. Stoychev - he swam across the strait in 6 hours 57 minutes and 50 seconds in 2007.

For women, the record was set by the Czech athlete I. Hlaváčová in 2006, swimming across the strait in 7 hours, 25 minutes and 15 seconds, and the first woman dared to swim such a swim in 1912 (American G. Ederle).

The famous strait continues to inspire new records and achievements among athletes and engineers, and it is likely that many more implemented ideas and implemented projects will be associated with it.

English Channel - VIDEO