Endurance swimmer, 35, sets off on record-breaking swimming attempt across the Channel aiming to make 21-mile crossing to Calais in 10 hours
- Chloe McCardel will swim across the Channel to France amid quarantine rules
- She plans to stay ‘in’ the country for less than ten minutes before she returns
- But the swimmer, aged 35, is still not sure if she must quarantine afterwards
- After making the 21-mile crossing, she hopes to reach British shores again by 8.30am on Sunday morning
An endurance swimmer has set off on her record-breaking swimming attempt across the English Channel.
Chloe McCardel, 35, began her 35th swim from Abbot’s Cliff beach near Folkestone on Saturday evening, aiming to make the 21-mile crossing to Calais in 10 hours.
After mere minutes on French soil she will start the return swim to a support boat, hoping to reach British shores again by 8.30am on Sunday.
Ms McCardel had originally planned to set off at 10am on Sunday but rescheduled due to potentially poor weather conditions.
It would be her 35th successful Channel crossing, passing the men’s record of 34 held by British athlete Kevin Murphy.
Endurance swimmer Chloe McCardel sets off from Abbotts Cliff beach near Folkestone as she embarks on a record-breaking swimming attempt across the English Channel
If completed it would the 35-year-old Australian’s 35th successful Channel crossing, passing the men’s record of 34 held by British athlete Kevin Murphy
The Australian previously said she will spend less than 10 minutes on French soil, and is hoping she will not have to quarantine when she returns to Dover with her support crew.
The Government announced on Thursday that people arriving in the UK from France after 4am on Saturday need to spend 14 days in self-isolation due to rising numbers of coronavirus cases across the Channel.
Ms McCardel told the PA news agency: ‘I’ve got a little celebration planned in England with the support crew, the team, the volunteers who have been so supportive throughout this.
‘So I am hoping the Government allow us to do that without having to quarantine,’ adding ‘we don’t go anywhere near the border officials or passport control, so I’m hoping technically the quarantine thing won’t apply.’
The Australian holds multiple world records, including the longest ever unassisted ocean swim – 41.5 hours in the Bahamas, covering more than 77 miles.
She noted that she had made inquiries about what happens when she reaches France.
The 35-year-old must reach land for her 21-mile journey to count as an official cross-Channel trip, and is unsure if she will be required to quarantine on her return to British soil
‘Literally, I reach the shore and stand up on land for a couple of minutes, then it’s back in the water, swim to the support boat, and head back to England.’
Ms McCardel was given special dispensation from Australian authorities to travel to the UK to complete three Channel crossings in recent weeks, taking her level with Mr Murphy’s record.
She holds multiple world records for endurance swimming including the longest ever unassisted ocean swim in the Bahamas in 2014.