English Channel

From Openwaterpedia

noun - The English Channel (French: la Manche, Breton: Mor Breizh, Cornish: Mor Bretannek, Brazilian Portuguese: Canal da Mancha, Japanese: ドーバー海峡, Dutch: Het Kanaal or Nauw van Calais (aka Dover Strait), Flemish Dutch: Het Kanaal, Bulgarian: Аз преплувах Ла Манша, Swedish: Engelska kanalen, Hebrew: תעלת אנגליה (Tealat Angelia), Spanish: Canal de la Mancha, Afrikaans: engelse kanaal, German: Ärmelkanal, Italian: Traversata della Manica, Icelandic: Ermarsundið, Russian: Пролив Ламанш, Chinese: 英吉利海峡, Irish: Muir nIochet), often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic.

It is also occasionally referred to in written form by open water swimmers, especially channel swimmers and marathon swimmers, as the EC.

It is about 560 km (350 mi) long and varies in width from 240 km (150 mi) at its widest, to only 34 km (21 mi) in the Strait of Dover. It is the smallest of the shallow seas around the continental shelf of Europe, covering an area of some 75,000 km2 (29,000 sq mi).

Marathon swimmers challenge themselves to swim between Dover, England to Cap Gris Nez, France. The famous waterway is part of the Oceans Seven and is considered to be the most prestigious marathon swim in the world. Solo and relay crossings are governed by two organizations: the Channel Swimming Association and the Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation.

The Strait of Dover, at the Channel's eastern end is also its narrowest point, while its widest point lies between Lyme Bay and the Gulf of Saint Malo near the midpoint of the waterway. It is relatively shallow, with an average depth of about 120 m (390 ft) at its widest part, reducing to a depth of about 45 m (148 ft) between Dover and Calais. From there eastwards the adjoining North Sea continues to shallow to about 26 m (85 ft) in the Broad Fourteens where it lies over the watershed of the former land bridge between East Anglia and the Low Countries. It reaches a maximum depth of 180 m (590 ft) in the submerged valley of Hurds Deep, 30 mi (48 km) west-northwest of Guernsey. The eastern region along the French coast between Cherbourg and the mouth of the Seine river at Le Havre is frequently referred to as the Bay of the Seine (French: Baie de Seine).

Several major islands are situated in the Channel, the most notable being the Isle of Wight off the English coast and the British Crown Dependencies the Channel Islands off the coast of France. The Isles of Scilly off the far southwest coast of England are not generally counted as being in the Channel. The coastline, particularly on the French shore, is deeply indented; several small islands close to the coastline, including Chausey and Mont Saint-Michel, are within French jurisdiction. The Cotentin Peninsula in France juts out into the Channel, and the Isle of Wight creates a small parallel channel known as the Solent in English waters. The Celtic Sea is to the west of the Channel.

Contents 1 Oceans Seven 2 Video of the English Channel 3 Synonyms 4 External links

Oceans Seven

The English Channel is part of the Oceans Seven, a global 7-channel challenge that consists of the following 7 waterways around the world. It was first proposed by Steven Munatones in June 2008 and first achieved by Stephen Redmond of Ireland in July 2012:

1. North Channel between Ireland and Scotland
2. Cook Strait between the North and South Islands of New Zealand
3. Molokai Channel between Oahu and Molokai Islands in Hawaii
4. English Channel between England and France
5. Catalina Channel between Santa Catalina Island and then Southern California mainland
6. Tsugaru Channel between the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido in Japan
7. Strait of Gibraltar between Europe and Africa

Video of the English Channel

The English Channel is not always this way, but Donal Buckley captured Dover Harbour on a particularly rough day in September 2011:

Synonyms

English Channel, Oceanus Britannicus (original name), La Manche (French), ドーバー海峡 (Japanese), Mor Breizh (Breton), Mor Bretannek (Cornish), Canal da Mancha (Portuguese)

External links

• Channel Swimming Association website
• Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation website
• Google Earth Flyover of Oceans Seven
• Oceans Seven
• Oceans Seven
• Records In Catalina Channel vs. English Channel
• Why 6 Swimmers? Why 1-hour Legs?
• Open Water Swimming Bucket Lists
• ISHOF vs. IMSHOF, Greatness Defined Two Ways
• Jon Erikson's Thoughts 3 Decades Later On The 3-way
• Michael Jordan Joins The Half Century Club
• Connecticut Mermen On Their Way To The Oceans Seven
• The Shark Diver Controversy In Ocean Swimming
• Mercedes: The Spirit Of The Age Age Premieres In Ireland
• Marathon Swimming Is A Global Phenomena
• Misinformation And Myths In The Open Water
• Doug McConnell Digs Deep vs. A Zillion Little Barbs
• A Window Of Opportunity In The Open Water World
• Mount Everest vs. The English Channel _ Which Is More Difficult?
• Difficulty vs. Risk - Two Different Perspectives On The Oceans Seven
• Seven Summits vs. Oceans Seven - Which Is More Difficult?
• Mount Everest, The English Channel Of Mountaineering
• The Most Interesting Man In The Open Water World
• Nabil El Shazly Leaves A Wide Wake In The Water
• Managing Motherhood In The Open Water World
• Swimming Surgeon Shows What Is Possible
• Crossing Cultures And Channels To Improve Your Memory
• The Dark Shadows Of Neoprene In The Open Water World
• Rules And Regulations Across The Seven Seas