Chasing a record in the English Channel
Insights, exclusive sound bites and commentaries from Andreas Waschburger and his team on this unforgettable day and the happy end of a vision that became a challenge and has now been successfully completed are compiled in the following video:
++++ 8 SEPTEMBER 2023 ++++ 2:50 pm ++++
NEW WORLD RECORD – 6:45:25 hours – CHALLENGE ACCOMPLISHED
What a day for Waschi. An historical moment. An unforgettable story.
Andreas Waschburger succeeded today and swam the English Channel from Dover to Cap Gris Nez (near Calais) in a new world record of 6 hours, 45 minutes and 25 seconds. This means he has beaten Australian Trent Grimsey’s existing best mark from 2012 by a whopping 10 minutes.
At the second attempt, after “Team Waschi” had to leave Dover a fortnight ago without having achieved anything due to unfavourable weather conditions, the famous weather gods were kind to this professional swimmer from Saarland today. In ideal weather conditions, the open water swimmer entered the cool Atlantic Ocean in Dover at just after eight o’clock this morning and literally glided through the water towards France to the destination of his dreams and visions.
Just before 3 pm it was done. On the rocks at Cap Gris Nez, not far from the lighthouse, Andreas Waschburger reached the shore and climbed out of the water in order to stand on solid French earth and stop the ticking clock. Bonjour France – hello world record. The time, stopped by the Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation (CS&PF) official escort, is well below the previous record, but has yet to be officially ratified by the organisation.
Waschi and his crew are overjoyed about the success all along the line. Directly following the successful record attempt, they took the boat back to Dover, where they will duly celebrate the Great Victory in the evening.
We congratulate Andreas Waschburger and his entire crew on this phenomenal and unforgettable performance and the fulfilment of the mission he set himself. The world record is yours, Waschi!
++++ 8. September 2023 ++++ 8:08 AM ++++
Challenge started! Finally it begins!
Andreas Waschburger launched his attempt to break the world record for swimming across the English Channel this morning. He and his crew set out in the early hours to begin the challenge in beaming sunshine.
The time to beat is 6 hours and 55 minutes.
After a long period of intensive preparations and a false start due to weather-related delays, it finally begins. Waschi can start his battle against the clock and the forces of nature.
We will be accompanying ‘Team Waschi’ throughout the challenge from the supporting boat and keeping you promptly updated via social media channels. The next update here will include pictures and videos from the end of the record attempt. Stay tuned – things are getting exciting!
++++ 06. September 2023 ++++
Dover calling! The challenge continues
Andreas Waschburger has received good news from his skipper Michael Oram in Dover – the weather forecasts for next weekend are favourable. Waschi and his team have returned to England to take another shot at a record crossing of the English Channel.
Back in Dover, the Saarland native and his team are now getting ready for a planned start on Friday morning. We will keep you updated about any further developments on our social media channels.
Off we go – things are getting exciting!
++++ 04. September 2023 ++++
After returning from Dover, Andreas Waschburger is back in his training and daily routine and preparing for the next time slot for the world record attempt across the English Channel. In a new V-LOG, Waschi gives us an update on his “wait” for the record attempt and answers some questions on topics like training, nutrition and personal that have come in through our social media channels over the past few days.
++++ 01. September 2023 ++++
The English Channel has posed a challenge to swimmers all over the world for many years. Since it was first crossed in 1895, around 2500 swimmers have completed more than 3000 crossings.
Whilst most swimmers go it solo using a classic freestyle technique, some watersports athletes have taken on the challenge in special and sometimes bizarre ways. Here are a few notable examples:
Sarah Thomas – quadruple crossing
In September 2019, Sarah Thomas completed the extreme challenge of swimming across the English Channel four times non-stop. This makes a total distance of around 209 kilometres. It took her 54 hours and 10 minutes to complete this enormous challenge, and as it currently stands is the only person to achieve this feat.
Lewis Pugh – swimming lengthwise
Lewis Pugh is a British environmentalist, swimmer and maritime law lawyer who is known for his long-distance swimming in endangered regions and environmental areas. In July and August he swum the English Channel lengthwise from Cornwall to Dover (most likely the first person ever to do so), a distance of approximately 530 to 560 km, to raise awareness of environmental pollution and overfishing. It took the 49-year-old a total of 48 days.
Alison Streeter + Chloë McCardel, the “queens of the Channel”
Alison Streeter, also known as the ‘queen of the Channel’, has swum across the English Channel an incredible 43 times. This notable achievement was spread over a period of several decades and established the Brit as one of the most successful Channel swimmers of all time.
Her total has since been beaten by Chloë McCardel: the Australian marathon swimmer celebrated a new record on 13 October 2021, twelve years after her first Channel crossing. After more than 450 hours in bitingly cold water and at least 1.5 million strokes, she swam the strait between England and France for the 44th time, becoming the new ‘queen of the Channel’.
David Walliams – the comedy crossing
British comedian David Walliams braved the challenge of swimming the English Channel in 2006. He completed the crossing in a respectable time of 10 hours and 30 minutes, thus providing publicity for the challenge, especially in the UK.
Jackie Cobell – slowest crossing of the English Channel
Jackie Cobell wanted to conquer a more direct, faster route in July 2010, but accidentally set the record for the slowest solo crossing when strong currents took her off her ideal route and forced her to swim a total of 105 kilometres in 28 hours and 44 minutes, thus breaking the record set by Henry Sullivan in 1923 when he was only the third person to complete the crossing (and first American) with a time of 26 hours and 50 minutes.
UPDATE: On Wednesday (23 August 2023), a message on the swimming portal swimswam.com stated that Sophie Etheridge had set a new record for the slowest crossing of the English Channel. With a swim time of 29 hours and 4 minutes, she has now completed the slowest solo crossing of the most famous channel in the world. The new record still need to be ratified.
++++ 25 AUGUST 2023 – 09:30 A.M. ++++
The world record attempt is being postponed – Andreas Waschburger is returning home for the time being
The world record is mother nature’s gift!
Events in Dover have been coming thick and fast over the past 24 hours – all due to the worsening weather conditions.
On Thursday morning (24 August), Waschi and his team were still expecting to begin his world record attempt at 6 a.m. today, Friday morning. Skipper Michael Oram announced the time at short notice.
But by midday the picture had changed, with a message from Michael Oram offering nothing in the way of good news: the weather conditions for the next three days did not offer a realistic chance of a record attempt. Achieving a world record would be practically impossible.
In a long meeting during the afternoon, experienced skipper and expert Michael worked with Waschburger and the whole team to intensively discuss all of the various conditions and influencing factors in great detail.
The wrong conditions
There are numerous factors that need to be right in order to achieve a world record for crossing the English Channel. As well as adjustable personal requirements and a few external influences for which at least some plans can be made, there are also countless factors that are driven entirely by the laws of nature or are naturally constantly changing.
Andreas Waschburger trusts the skills and recommendation of his skipper Michael Oram, who with more than 500 channel crossings under his belt has a huge wealth of experience and has ultimately also piloted the three fastest swimmers in the world across the stretch of water. The combination of worsening weather and changing air pressure, combined with the tides and the likely resulting swell and currents, mean that there will be no opportunity for a successful world record attempt before the booked time slot comes to an end on Monday 28 August.
Andreas Waschburger’s goal has always been to break the world record – he did not come here to swim across the channel in any old time. All of his training and preparation has been and will still be focused on achieving the world record. Waschi is ready, but nature was not (yet)!
Team Waschi returning home
The Saarland native and is whole team are departing from Dover today and returning to Saarland. However, the record chaser will stay fit and get straight back to his training routine – because the race is not over, just slightly delayed.
World record is still the goal
Andreas Waschburger has booked another two potential start slots in September with Michael and the arranging organisation (CS&PF). He will remain in regular contact with his skipper Michael Oram over the coming days and weeks, with his fingers crossed for the perfect conditions. If the signal is given, things will move very quickly.
We will of course keep you updated here and on our social media channels, Instagram and Facebook and will be supporting Waschi as he works towards his goal.
The world record is mother nature’s gift
– Michael Oram
++++ 22 August 2023 – 5:00 p.m. ++++
Preparations are on track
The first three days in Dover have gone to plan for Waschi and his team so far.
He has already made initial contact with the skipper Michael Oram. As it currently stands, things are likely to happen at the weekend. As a reminder: The time slot set for the record attempt runs from Wednesday 23 August to Monday 28 August. This experienced skipper understands the pitfalls and risks of the English Channel like no other.
Waschi has provided a brief update on his first few days in Dover in our V-LOG.
Conditions are not yet perfect
Oram has to keep an eye on various different factors: weather development, wind, current and swell. Tidal forces play a particularly key role in English Channel crossings, and anticipating a neap tide as precisely and reliably as possible in order to determine the perfect time for a record attempt is one of the skipper’s most important tasks and skills.
Neap tide
A neap tide is a relatively small tide or a generally lower tidal range between ebb and flow. The opposite of a neap tide is a spring tide, a strong tide that is extremely high or low and creates a large tidal range. Tides are caused by an interplay between various different factors. The rotation of the earth plays a part, as do the gravitational pulls from the moon and the sun. Ebbs and flows still occur during a neap tide, but the height difference between them (the tidal range) is very low so the water levels remain very stable.
If Michael Oram considers conditions as a whole to be perfect, he will give Waschi the signal to start preparing to begin the challenge. This is often very last-minute, and sometimes even in the middle of the night. Waschi has to be ready for anything.
All he can do for now is wait and stay on schedule. Andreas completes two training sessions per day in the Dover harbour basin, where there is a separate swimming area. He swims for three-quarters of an hour to an hour, then recovers and relaxes. The days spent preparing and waiting for a record attempt involve a certain amount of monotony for open water swimmers, but they are days that the athletes enjoy and look forward to.
Still a bit of variety – walking around Dover
‘Team Waschi’s has already checked off a trip to ‘The White Horse’ on their itinerary – a venerable old building in the shadow of Dover Castle and known by locals and nearby visitors as just the ‘Horse’, this is the oldest pub in Dover and offers very special decor and tradition. In this traditional pub atmosphere, visitors are surrounded by hundreds of short notes and autographs on the bars, walls and ceiling. In 2002, channel-swimming brothers Albert and Peter Bardoel began the unusual tradition of signing the bar after a successful solo channel swim. This tradition continued and has now become almost an unmissable stop for any swimmer after a successful channel crossing. Waschi is looking forward to returning and claiming his place among these successful channel swimmers.
Record chasers together
In the morning, the hotel breakfast offered an inspiring encounter for the Saarland record chaser: swimmer Craig Nerwich from South Africa is currently in his time slot and is expected to attempt the channel crossing record in the coming days. The two naturally had lots to talk about and plenty of interesting experiences to share.
High season for English Channel swimmers
June to September is generally peak season for attempts to swim across the English Channel in record time. This period offers the warmest water temperatures, with swimmers able to expect something in the range of 15 to 19 degrees Celsius. This means that there are numerous time slots for registered record attempts clustered during this period. At the moment, several swimmers per week have an individual time slot. An average of 50 to 60 record attempts are made by solo swimmers every season, as well as 30 relays.
++++ 21 August 2023 – 3:00 p.m. ++++
First swim in the Atlantic – up close and personal with the water
After a long journey on Saturday, yesterday was the first opportunity for Andreas Waschburger to get in the water. There were another two training sessions on the agenda for today. However, training has been tapered since last week, with training kilometres reduced significantly immediately before competitions.
Photos of cloudless skies and beaming sunshine appear to show perfect conditions, but it is still too windy for a world-record attempt with high swell. The team is also focusing on a neap tide, i.e. the ebb and flood times in the Atlantic.
The water temperature on the beach is currently 18 degrees, but out in the deep sea it is colder. By comparison, current seasonal water temperatures in Lake Constance are a comfortable 25 to 26 degrees Celsius, and Mallorca – the most popular holiday island among German tourists – is currently offering virtually a toasty warm bath with water temperatures of around 29 degrees Celsius.
As well as two training sessions, one early in the morning and one at lunchtime, the athlete is recovering and trying to subject his body to as little stress as possible. Athletes even avoid sunbathing before a competition.
++++ 20 August 2023 – 09:30 a.m. ++++
Arrival in Dover – the journey is over and check-in complete.
The job from now on is to acclimatise, prepare with focus, and hope for good conditions in the upcoming slot. An initial swimming training session in the Atlantic is planned for during the day.
Mount Everest and Ocean’s Seven
The English Channel – a challenge for extreme swimmers
The English Channel is the Mount Everest of open water swimming.
The equivalent of the seven highest peaks for extreme mountain climbers (Seven Summits) is known as Ocean’s Seven by long-distance swimmers. This challenge is based on an idea devised by American swimming coach Steven Munatones and involves crossing seven bodies of water on five continents. One of these is the English Channel. Twenty one people, including seven women, have completed the challenge thus far, and a German named André Wiersig successfully completed it in 2019.
The swims
| Route | Start/end | Length |
| Cook Strait | Strait between the two main islands of New Zealand (North and South Islands) | 26 km |
| North Channel | Ireland and Scotland | 34 km |
| Strait of Gibraltar | Morocco and Spain | 14 km |
| Kaiwi Channel | Molokaʻi and Oʻahu islands, Hawaii | 44 km |
| Tsugaru Strait | Honshu and Hokkaido islands, Japan | 20 km |
| English Channel | England and France | 34 km |
| Catalina Channel | Santa Catalina Island and Los Angeles | 34 km |
Waschi and Ocean’s Seven
It is in extreme athletes’ nature to push their personal physical and mental boundaries to do things that no or very few people have done before. Marathon swimmer Andreas Waschburger doubtless also views his world record attempt in the English Channel as a first test for other challenges, but is remaining cautious and focused.
I approach every challenge with the greatest respect and as much professional preparation as possible. My focus is on the world record attempt in the English Channel. We will see how it goes, and then we will see.
– Andreas Waschburger
++++ 19 August 2023 – 10:15 a.m. ++++
Off we go! The mission begins.
‘Team Waschi’ is making its way to England from 1 p.m. today.
The mission to cross the English Channel is now in its critical phase. The first step is to cross the channel from below: Waschi and his team will be taking the underground Eurotunnel train to the British mainland and arriving at Dover (GB) this evening.
They will then be checking in to a hotel in Dover harbour.
This is a practical choice for the record chaser. However, the marathon swimmer will also be able to complete training sessions in the water very near to his accommodation.
The team behind Andreas Waschburger
A project as ambitious as swimming across the English Channel would be impossible without the support and assistance of an experienced team. The Saarland native is being aided in his challenge by a team of experts and trusted individuals. His fiancée Jasmin Alt will be in the same boat, in every sense of the word: as well as providing a partner’s support, she will be covering all organisational tasks and relieving the burden on her fiancé.
Trainer Jan Wolfgarten is Waschi´s most important companion for the athletic and tactical portions of this project. This former indoor and open water swimmer, 2009 European champion in 1500m crawl, offers a wealth of experience and expertise drawn from his own time in training and as an active athlete. Throughout the entire preparation process, the pair have racked up hundreds of training hours as a team. In terms of training, competition strategy and tactics, Andreas Waschburger can rely completely on his trainer’s support.
Media support for the record attempt is being provided by video producer Rouven Christ and Thomas Braml, sports reporter for Saarländische Rundfunk (SR).
Andreas Waschburger will be accompanied by a boat on his record attempt.
In skipper Michael Oram the team surrounding the 2012 Olympic competitor from Saarland has gained an absolute expert in channel swims. Oram, one of six experienced sailors at the Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation (CS&PF), commands the boat and leads the action.
He determines the starting time within the slot from 23 to 28 August and calculates the ideal route for Waschburger. The treacherous currents in the strait, which is influenced heavily by tides, will have a particular impact on the record attempt. Speeds of up to six knots (around 11 km/h) will tax Waschi’s strength.
Oram has an in-depth understanding of his craft, as he has proven multiple times by accompanying both current record holder Trent Grimsey (6:55 hours, 2012) and his predecessor, Bulgarian Petar Stoychev (6:57 hours, 2007) – a good omen for Waschburger.
We would like to wish the whole of Team Waschi a pleasant arrival and look forward to the next stage.
An epic adventure from Matthew Webb to Trent Grimsey
Six hours and fifty five minutes: that is how long it took Australian Trent Grimsey to swim the English Channel – the world record! That was eleven years ago, and a world away from the time taken by English captain Matthew Webb in August 1875 when the 27-year-old battled nature in the icy waters to become the first man to swim across, finally making after more than twenty one hours.
An ice-cold challenge – Saarland long-distance swimmer Andreas Waschburger is after the English Channel world record
In the coming days, Saarland marathon swimmer Andreas ‘Waschi’ Waschburger will be joining the ranks of men and women who have attempted to swim the cold, 16-degree stretch of water between England and France. The strait measures 32.31 kilometres at the thinnest point – generally from Dover to Calais. And Waschi wants it all: his aim is to beat the current world record.
Master of the seas – Waschi is striving for his next career highlight
Waschburger, who began his open water swimming career at the age of 17, is now 36. He has won numerous German, French and British championships and his successes include European Cup wins in the overall rankings, as well as countless victories and second places in the World Cup and two second places in the overall World Cup. He has continually been one of the elite of long-distance open water swimming for nearly twenty years. Over a total of 54 World Cup races during his long career, he finished in the top ten 38 times and in the top eight 33 times. Nine of these races put him on the winner’s podium. At the Ice Swimming World Championships in Samoëns, France, in early 2023, he set a new record in the 4 x 250 metre freestyle mixed relay. This gold medal was joined by another in the 4 x 50 metre freestyle mixed relay and two silvers in the 500 metre and 1000 metre individual freestyle competition, also with times that beat the current ice swimming world record.
Fighting for survival in the water – the incomparable challenges of crossing the English Channel
Only around 1,000 people so far have dared to conquer the not-undangerous channel crossing. More than a third failed. The extreme conditions with icy cold for hours, weather that is difficult to predict, and treacherous currents pose challenges for swimmers that can only be overcome with appropriate training. Even athletes as experienced as Waschi can only approach trying to cross the channel after completing special training.
Dimensions of survival – out of their comfort zone
Although it is theoretically ‘only’ 7.31 further than the 25-km distance that Waschburger is used to, there is much more to a channel crossing. More than a hundred years ago, Matthew Webb swam over 70 km, as the currents were constantly pushing him off course. Today, swimmers rely on a team of experienced sailors, physiotherapists, doctors and trainers to prepare and support the athletes. These specialists also calculate the ideal time for the crossing, within the time slot of 23 to 28 August that has been set for Waschi. Michael Oram, the undisputed expert in boat crossings of the English Channel, is part of Waschi’s team and will be trying to guide the record chaser safely and single-mindedly through the channel’s currents and waves, as he has already successfully done for current record holder Trent Grimsey in 2012 and Bulgarian record holder Petar Stoychev in 2007.
Olympian faces the ultimate tests – battling the elements and himself
Waschi is perfectly prepared. Swimming in currents, extreme endurance sessions (up to 100 km a week), stress tests (20, 25 and km in the pool) and exhausting sessions in the ice chamber – twice a week at -90 degrees (cryotherapy) – were not uncharted territory for this 2012 Olympian, but the Saarland native’s respect for the channel is palpable.
‘I am used to 25 km, but another hour is a whole new challenge: a battle against the cold, my thoughts and quite simply against myself’.
We would like to wish Andreas Waschburger all the best and every success with his world record attempt. Go for it, Waschi!
You can follow the world record attempt in our blog here and on our social media channels Instagram and Facebook. We will keep you updated with the latest pictures, videos and news from the channel challenge once Waschi and his team leave for England on 19 August.