Dubai resident completes English Channel swim
Published: Sep 2, 2010 16:05 Updated: Sep 2, 2010 23:26
(Update) JEDDAH: Dubai-based swimmer Scot Ragsdale completed his crossing of the English Channel Thursday night, clocking 14 hours and 1 minute in a route made circuitous by strong currents.
From Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, an observer checking Ragsdale’s progress told Arab News that Ragsdale reached his destination on the French side of the channel at 1700 GMT (8 p.m. Saudi time).
The route was fairly direct until Ragsdale encountered quite strong currents in mid channel that pushed him south west and extended the swim.
The current world record holder for fastest man to swim the approximate 21-mile (33 kilometer-) distance was Petar Stoychev of Bulgaria. His time of 6 hours 57 minutes gives an average speed of 3 miles/hour (4.83 kilometers per hour or kph) .
Yvetta Hlavacova from the Czech Republic was the fastest woman to swim the English Channel. Her time of 7 hours 25 minutes gives an average speed of 2.8 miles/hour (4.48 kph).
The distance required to swim the English Channel is less accurately measured than distances in pools because the exact course can vary.
While the shortest distance across the English Channel is about 21 miles, tide and wind can extend the actual distance traveled in the water.
The youngest to make the crossing is Brit Thomas Gregory, who was 11 years old when he succeeded in 1988. The oldest swimmer is George Brunstad who swam across in 2004, aged 70 years and 4 days in a time of 15 hours 15 minutes.
All channel swims are monitored and recorded by the Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation (http://www.channelswimming.net/) who, if Ragsdale keeps up the effort for the next hour, soon be a new addition to the list of successful attempts.
Ragsdale, who started his quest at 0300 GMT (6 a.m. Saudi time) Thursday, was originally scheduled for the swim on Friday but weather conditions were perfect and the go was given.
The English Channel is notorious for rapid changes in weather and sea conditions.
Starting the swim, Ragsdale set off in an air temperature of 16.2 degrees Celsius (61.2 Fahrenheit) with a water temperature of 16.78 Celsius (62.2 F). The rules of official channel swimming state that no wet-suits should be worn, so hypothermia is always a threat.
However, Ragdsale was cheerful before the start having spent long hours training in cool water before the attempt. He was also fed high-energy products during his swim to help combat the effects of the cold.
Apart from hypothermia, a channel challenger has to brave waves, wind and tide. Wave height was low — about 0.25 meters and the swell slight. Wind speed settled at 16 knots came from the northeast and so was behind rather than in front of Ragsdale during his attempt.
— To see the route the route http://www.scottragsdale.com/
• Weather Data: National Data Buoy Centre – owned and maintain7ed by the UK Meteorological Office.
