Skip to content
Contact
Search
Channel Swimming Dover
Celebrating the history and record of channel swims
Home
About
History
Swimmers
Swims
Photos
Lists
FAQs
Add to the site
You are here:
Home
next
Swims
next
Nationality
next
France
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)
PAGE:
1
2
Next >