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Celebrating the history and record of channel swims
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You are here: HomenextSwimsnextNationalitynextFrance

France

  • Alfonsi, Georges - 23/08/1950

    Description
    Started Cap Gris Nez, Food; cold roast chicken and sugar lumps. Gave up at 01.19 a.m. after 1 hour "leisurely crawl" with stomach cramps, later diagnosed as appendicitis
    Swimmer(s)
    Alfonsi, Georges
    Date
    23/08/1950
    Duration of swim
    1:00
    Notes
    Made 'little progress'
    Success/failure
    Failed (725)
    Direction(s)
    France-England (736)

  • Bombard, Dr. Alain Louis - 05/09/1950

    Swimmer(s)
    Bombard, Dr. Alain Louis
    Date
    05/09/1950
    Duration of swim
    03:15
    Success/failure
    Failed (725)
    Direction(s)
    France-England (736)

  • Bombard, Dr. Alain Louis - 16/08/1951

    Swimmer(s)
    Bombard, Dr. Alain Louis
    Date
    16/08/1951
    Duration of swim
    12:50
    Notes
    Second Daily Mail Race
    Success/failure
    Failed (725)
    Direction(s)
    France-England (736)
    Ratified
    Daily Mail (47)

  • LaFargue, Gabriel - 30/07/1905

    Description
    START 8 30am. Admiraty Pier Head. FINISH. 12 35 - swam 20 miles to 4½ miles off Ramsgate. Temp. 65’f. Food; small sandwiches wrapped in paper and thrown to him. Breast Stroke. Swim classed as farcical, half a gale blowing and nearing spring tides.
    Swimmer(s)
    LaFargue, Gabriel
    Date
    30/07/1905
    Duration of swim
    04:05
    Pilot boat
    Actif trawler of Calais
    Notes
    He was on one weeks leave from Military training. He had two friends in the tug.
    Success/failure
    Failed (725)
    Direction(s)
    England-France (657)

  • Le Driant, Joseph - 23/08/1926

    Swimmer(s)
    Le Driant, Joseph
    Date
    23/08/1926
    Duration of swim
    03:30
    Notes
    Cap Gris Nez
    Success/failure
    Failed (725)
    Direction(s)
    France-England (736)

  • Mabileau, Adrien - 11/09/1963

    Description
    Started Cap Gris Nez 5am with Montilly, swm side-by-side, landing east of Dover 9.15am
    Swimmer(s)
    Mabileau, Adrien
    Date
    11/09/1963
    Successful swim number
    155
    Successful swimmer number
    108
    Successful swim number France - England
    128
    Duration of swim
    15:35
    Pilot boat
    Saint-Jean trawler
    Notes
    French organised. Swam with Montilly
    Success/failure
    Successful (681)
    Direction(s)
    France-England (736)
    Number of crossings
    One Way Swim (644)
    Ratified
    Independent (34)

  • MadelÚnat, Jean-Paul - 18/08/2002

    Swimmer(s)
    MadelÚnat, Jean-Paul
    Date
    18/08/2002
    Duration of swim
    14:46
    Pilot
    L. Oram
    Pilot boat
    Sea Satin
    Trainer
    C. Cobbett
    Success/failure
    Successful (681)
    Direction(s)
    England-France (657)
    Number of crossings
    One Way Swim (644)
    Ratified
    CS&PF (101)

  • Michel, Georges - 02/08/1922

    Swimmer(s)
    Michel, Georges
    Date
    02/08/1922
    Duration of swim
    02:00
    Notes
    Daily Sketch £1000 prize attempt
    Success/failure
    Failed (725)
    Direction(s)
    France-England (736)

  • Michel, Georges - 02/09/1922

    Swimmer(s)
    Michel, Georges
    Date
    02/09/1922
    Duration of swim
    Unknown
    Notes
    Point du Ridan. Daily Sketch £1000 prize attempt
    Success/failure
    Failed (725)
    Direction(s)
    France-England (736)

  • Michel, Georges - 02/09/1923

    Swimmer(s)
    Michel, Georges
    Date
    02/09/1923
    Duration of swim
    10:30
    Success/failure
    Failed (725)
    Direction(s)
    France-England (736)

  • Michel, Georges - 03/08/1922

    Swimmer(s)
    Michel, Georges
    Date
    03/08/1922
    Duration of swim
    09:00
    Notes
    Daily Sketch £1000 prize attempt
    Success/failure
    Failed (725)
    Direction(s)
    France-England (736)

  • Michel, Georges - 03/09/1926

    Swimmer(s)
    Michel, Georges
    Date
    03/09/1926
    Duration of swim
    02:00
    Notes
    Cap Gris Nez
    Success/failure
    Unknown (9)
    Direction(s)
    France-England (736)

  • Michel, Georges - 08/08/1923

    Swimmer(s)
    Michel, Georges
    Date
    08/08/1923
    Duration of swim
    20:00
    Success/failure
    Failed (725)
    Direction(s)
    England-France (657)

  • Michel, Georges - 08/08/1926

    Swimmer(s)
    Michel, Georges
    Date
    08/08/1926
    Duration of swim
    13:00
    Notes
    Cap Gris Nez
    Success/failure
    Failed (725)
    Direction(s)
    France-England (736)

  • Michel, Georges - 10/09/1926

    Description
    Started Cap Gris Nez, finished St Margarets Bay 7.25am
    Swimmer(s)
    Michel, Georges
    Date
    10/09/1926
    Successful swim number
    9
    Successful swimmer number
    9
    Successful swim number France - England
    6
    Duration of swim
    11:06
    Notes
    LONDON, Sept. 10 1926 -- The world's English Channel swimming record, held within five weeks by an American for twenty-four days and by a German for eleven, flitted to France today when Georges Michel, doughty Paris baker, kneaded his way across "La Manche" (the Sleeve), as the French call the Channel, in 11 hours 5 minutes. Michel landed in St Margarets Bay, midway between Dover and Deal. When he took the water last evening sea conditions were favorable, and there was good swimming virtually all the way to England until the last two miles, when the wind began to stiffen. At the start there was a fast tide under, him, and when flood tide began it carried him along way across. Started on Ebb Tide Michel, in addition to breaking the record, also upset all precedents in starting. He left the rocks at Gris-Nez an hour before low tide, Instead of four hours before high tide. He believed that in starting thus he could accomplish the feat before him in 10 hours. The experts, however, doubted this... Perhaps his best previous swim was Aug 1 when he won the cross Paris Marathon on the River Seine. He made the 26 miles, aided by a strong current, in llh 20m. The first Frenchman to swim the Channel is of Herculean build and is outclassed in size among Channel aspirants only by the giant Egyptian, Ishak Helmy, who has failed in all his efforts to get from France to the chalk cliffs about Dover. Michel had been trying every year since 1922 to make the trip. His last attempt before today was on Sept 4, when he was balked by bad weather after being in the water a little more than an hour... Michel is no youngster, but is nearing middle age. He is remarkable for his size, being taller than most Frenchmen, and only a few can boast of being broader either around the shoulders or waist. He carries more than one chin above his broad, fleshy shoulders. Nine times before last night, Michel strode into the channel in attempt to conquer her. Two of his unsuccessful starts were made this year. He never set up training quarters at Gris-Nez and devoted weeks to accustoming himself to the Channel waters, as do most of those who make the attempt. It was always his practice, whenever the notion struck him with particular force, to turn his bakery shop in a Parisian suburb over to his wife, take a train to the coast and, after two or three days of practice, start for the English shore.
    Success/failure
    Successful (681)
    Direction(s)
    France-England (736)
    Number of crossings
    One Way Swim (644)
    Ratified
    Independent (34)

  • Michel, Georges - 14/08/1922

    Swimmer(s)
    Michel, Georges
    Date
    14/08/1922
    Duration of swim
    07:10
    Notes
    Boulogne. Dail Sketch £1000 prize attempt
    Success/failure
    Failed (725)
    Direction(s)
    France-England (736)

  • Michel, Georges - 20/08/1922

    Swimmer(s)
    Michel, Georges
    Date
    20/08/1922
    Duration of swim
    18:30
    Pilot boat
    Sea Smack
    Notes
    Daily Sketch £1000 prize attempt
    Success/failure
    Failed (725)
    Direction(s)
    France-England (736)

  • Michel, Georges - 27/07/1922

    Swimmer(s)
    Michel, Georges
    Date
    27/07/1922
    Duration of swim
    16:00
    Pilot boat
    Ecllaireur
    Notes
    Cap Gris Nez. Daily Sketch £1000 prize attempt
    Success/failure
    Failed (725)
    Direction(s)
    France-England (736)

  • Montilly, Georges - 11/09/1963

    Description
    Started Cap Gris Nez 5am with Mobilleau, swm side-by-side, landing east of Dover 9.15am
    Swimmer(s)
    Montilly, Georges
    Date
    11/09/1963
    Successful swim number
    156
    Successful swimmer number
    109
    Successful swim number France - England
    129
    Duration of swim
    15:35
    Pilot boat
    Saint-Jean trawler
    Notes
    French organised. Swam with Mabileau
    Success/failure
    Successful (681)
    Direction(s)
    France-England (736)
    Number of crossings
    One Way Swim (644)
    Ratified
    Independent (34)

  • Montilly, Georges - 23/07/1961

    Swimmer(s)
    Montilly, Georges
    Date
    23/07/1961
    Duration of swim
    06:15
    Success/failure
    Failed (725)
    Direction(s)
    France-England (736)

  • Morand, Raphael - 16/08/1951

    Swimmer(s)
    Morand, Raphael
    Date
    16/08/1951
    Successful swim number
    57
    Successful swimmer number
    47
    Successful swim number France - England
    50
    Duration of swim
    13:45
    Notes
    Second Daily Mail Race
    Success/failure
    Successful (681)
    Direction(s)
    France-England (736)
    Number of crossings
    One Way Swim (644)
    Ratified
    Daily Mail (47)

  • Morand, Raphael - 23/08/1958

    Description
    Start 2 05 a.m. Finish 6 27 p.m.
    Swimmer(s)
    Morand, Raphael
    Date
    23/08/1958
    Successful swim number
    105
    Successful swimmer number
    47
    Successful swim number France - England
    87
    Duration of swim
    16:22
    Success/failure
    Successful (681)
    Direction(s)
    France-England (736)
    Number of crossings
    One Way Swim (644)
    Ratified
    Butlins (192)

  • Morand, Raphael - 27/08/1959

    Swimmer(s)
    Morand, Raphael
    Date
    27/08/1959
    Duration of swim
    00:00
    Notes
    Did Not Start
    Success/failure
    Failed (725)
    Direction(s)
    France-England (736)
    Ratified
    Butlins (192)

  • Morand, Raphael - 31/08/1959

    Swimmer(s)
    Morand, Raphael
    Date
    31/08/1959
    Duration of swim
    12:30
    Notes
    Cap Gris Nez to off Folkestone
    Success/failure
    Failed (725)
    Direction(s)
    France-England (736)
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