Former Tiger Sets Channel Crossing World Record

EXETER, England -- Over the millennia, there have been countless crossings of the 21-mile stretch of water between southeast England and northern France. Saxons, Romans, Vikings, William the Conqueror, the Allies crossing to Normandy on D-Day and right up today with daily ferry crossings.

Less than a handful times on record has a person crossed the English Channel by backstroke. And it was a Towson University graduate to do it the fastest.

Two weeks ago, Nik Haynes '00 became a world-record holder by backstroking the English Channel in an astounding 12 hours, 52 minutes. Haynes bested the mark set by Tina Neill in 2005 of 13 hours, 22 minutes. Haynes' record mark was over four hours faster than the previous men's record of 17 hours, 2 minutes set by Haydn Welch in 1993.

Touching the coast of France was a redeeming moment for Haynes, who attempted the swim in 2015, but fell short due to hypothermia. Much warmer air temperatures in 2020 during his swim were a contributing factor; in 2015 the air temperature when he set off was 5°C (41°F) but 19°C (66.2°F) this time around. Low wind speed meant the water was smooth and nearly no chop as well. The final piece of the successful puzzle was the sun making an appearance during Haynes' 2020 attempt, something that he did have in 2015.

"I started at 1:44 in the morning, and in the United Kingdom, at that time of morning, you're looking at some pretty cold temperatures, even in the middle of summer" Haynes said of the weather. "That night, the (air) temperature was 19°C and the water was 17°C. … This year it ended up being one of the hottest days of the year in England, there was almost no wind … It was about the best day you could expect to have."

Haynes is no stranger to records. During his time with the Black & Gold, Haynes set the freshman mark for the 100-yard butterfly, touching in 51.19 seconds during the 1997-98 campaign. That time was in the program's top 10 for that distance for more than 20 years.

Haynes and his classmates were key to a big improvement at the America Swimming Championships, jumping from the lower end of the points to a third-place finish in Haynes' senior season of 2000.

The backstroke was Haynes' bread-and-butter during his college career as he won the 100-yard distance three times (1997, 1998, 1999), with that freshman record winning in his first league championship meet. Doubling the distance to the 200-yard event, Haynes captured back-to-back America East titles in 1999 and 2000. In his final season, Haynes earned America East All-Academic honors as well.

The swim was not just for setting records; Haynes used his abilities for good and raised over £4,000 ($5,260) for WaterAid, an organization with the mission of improving access to clean water, hygiene and sanitation in the world's poorest communities.

Swimming for WaterAid was an idea planted with Haynes, a geography teacher in Exeter, England, during a lesson about helping developing countries gain access to water. He mentioned the need for water and simple things to help countries develop. It was a simple question from a student that nudged Haynes towards swimming to benefit WaterAid.

"A student asked me 'what do you do to help WaterAid if they're a charity?'," Haynes said. "I give them £20 now and again and that was kind of it. He was kind of unimpressed, but it made me think 'what could I do?' I'm always up for a challenge myself, doing swimming and all that, so there's a personal aspect to it as well. That question was what kick started my brain."

And thus, a new world record that has helped an international organization.

The rules governing this attempt are very strict. Male swimmers must wear a brief-style swimsuit, no shorts, shirt, wetsuit or drysuit. Goggles and a swim cap may be worn as well. Swimmers cannot use any tech such as waterproof headphones. Haynes was alone with his thoughts in the Channel for nearly 13 hours. He reminisced about a radio in the corner of the Burdick Hall Pool, on which swimmers could hear snippets of songs between sets, getting that song stuck in their heads during the next set of training.

Another very strict rule: swimmers cannot have any physical contact with outside influences. No hanging on paddleboards to catch a break, nor touching the companion boat. Needing to take in nutrition and calories during the swim, Haynes' support crew on the boat would toss high-calorie drinks in bottles that he would retrieve.

The support boat is crucial for the English Channel attempt. Not only does it carry the swimmer's crew, but it helped Haynes sight his swim and worked as a guide across the open water. There are 10 boats certified for the crossing, and nine were in use on the day of Haynes' swim, not including the container ships in one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

To complete the attempt, swimmers climb over the boulder-strewn coast of France to be fully out of the water. Celebrations abounded in Wissant, France as Haynes fully exited the water, world record in hand. The swimmer and pilot boated originally aimed for Cap Gris Nex, France but currents and tides made it tricky.

The kicker? After swimming for nearly 13 hours and covering 21 miles, Haynes had to hop back into the water and swim back to his support boat for the ride back across the Channel.

For more information about WaterAid, please visit www.WaterAid.org.
For photos, videos and information about the swim, please visit Nik Swims the Channel on Facebook.

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Former Tiger Sets Channel Crossing World Record