To swim the English Channel you need a pilot, not the air kind but the sea kind. These are the people you have to trust to keep you safe while swimming. They deal with everything, they are your navigator, protector, rescuer (hopefully not needed) and last but not least, chauffeur once you have made it to France.
Mine is a chap called Eddie, I've only spoken to him via email so far but he seems like a nice guy. He has been escorting channel swimmers for over 10 years and has a nice looking boat that I'm going to get a ride back to the UK in. From France, not from half way across the channel. From France, a different country, after I have swum there.
I asked one of the chaps from Aspire (I'm doing this for them, follow the link above to donate) where the start and end point of the swim was and I got a great response. "Those are two things that you shouldn't even be thinking about. You get in where your pilot tells you and you get out when you get to the other side. Your bit is the training and the swimming."
I think Eddie might have the better end of the deal....
Mine is a chap called Eddie, I've only spoken to him via email so far but he seems like a nice guy. He has been escorting channel swimmers for over 10 years and has a nice looking boat that I'm going to get a ride back to the UK in. From France, not from half way across the channel. From France, a different country, after I have swum there.
I asked one of the chaps from Aspire (I'm doing this for them, follow the link above to donate) where the start and end point of the swim was and I got a great response. "Those are two things that you shouldn't even be thinking about. You get in where your pilot tells you and you get out when you get to the other side. Your bit is the training and the swimming."
I think Eddie might have the better end of the deal....