how far across is the english channel to swim
List of successful English Channel swimmers Jackie Cobell had intended to make the 21-mile (34 km) crossing by a more direct route in July 2010, but inadvertently set the record for the slowest solo swim, when strong currents forced her to swim a total of 65 miles (105 km) in 28 hours and 44 minutes, breaking the record set by Henry Sullivan in 1923, who had been the third person, and the first American, to make the crossing.[12]