USAUnited States

David Yudovin

1996 Channel solo · pioneering international channel swimmer

Also recorded as David Kenneth Yudovin.

Full name: David Kenneth Yudovin
Home region: California, United States
First Catalina crossing: 1976
English Channel: 20 August 1996 · 13:37:00 · age 45
Coach and manager: Beth Yudovin
Career scope: ISHOF describes over forty solo channel swims worldwide, 1976–2014
Recognition: Selected as an ISHOF Honor Open Water Swimmer in 2014

Biography

David Yudovin was an American channel swimmer from California whose career centred on exploring difficult sea passages. His website describes joining a swim team as a child and developing his long-distance swimming while attending Northern Arizona University. His first Catalina crossing came in 1976. After a serious medical emergency during an Anacapa attempt in 1978, he returned to complete that route in 1982, as recorded by the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

Yudovin's English Channel success came on 20 August 1996, aged 45. The federation's historical entry records an England-to-France solo in 13 hours 37 minutes, piloted by Reg Brickell Jr aboard Helen Ann Marie, with J. Woodward observing. A contemporary newspaper report preserved on his website describes a month of preparation in Dover, an initially calm sea and worsening weather after roughly eight hours.

His wife Beth served as coach and manager and helped plan his overseas swims. Their wider itinerary included passages in Japan, Indonesia, New Zealand and the Atlantic islands. The Hall of Fame's career summary covers more than forty solo channel swims between 1976 and 2014, rather than forty English Channel crossings.

Away from swimming, Yudovin built a seafood business and later devoted time to volunteering and fundraising. His website records the sale of Ocean Crystal Seafood to its employees in 2005 and his selection for the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2014.

Selected Channel swim records

Successful English Channel solo

Ratification reported by source

Recorded swim date · Tuesday, 20 August 1996 · Start or finish date not specified by the source

Elapsed swim time · 13h 37m 0s

Duration of the complete swim

Started · Tuesday, 20 August 1996 · Clock time not confirmed

Finished · Exact finish date not confirmed · Clock time not confirmed

Timing note · The article is dated 31 August 1996 but describes the departure on 20 August. It gives no precise departure or arrival clock; none is inferred.

Format · Solo · 1-way

Direction · England → France

Pilot / piloting team · Reg Brickell Jr

Escort vessel · Helen Ann Marie

Official observers · J. Woodward

Ratification / historical recognition · Channel Swimming Association — reported by CS&PF

Conditions · A contemporary report describes calm water initially, followed by rain and choppy conditions after about eight hours.

How this record was checked

CS&PF historical individual record 443660, Name through Observer fields, matches David Yudovin, USA, age 45, 20 August 1996, solo E-F and 13:37:00, explicitly attributed to CSA. The athlete website's 1996 England-to-France table row agrees at 13 hours 37 minutes. Kathe Tanner's contemporary report explicitly describes the 20 August departure. Direct CSA ratification and the original observer log were not inspected.

CS&PF historical record: David Yudovin, 20 August 1996

Checked 2026-10-31

Supports · Record 443660: USA, age 45, generic date, E-F, 13:37:00, Reg Brickell Jr, Helen Ann Marie, J. Woodward and ratifier CSA.

Limitations · Historical record hosted by CS&PF and attributed to CSA; direct CSA decision and original observer log were not inspected.

David Yudovin: About David

Checked 2026-10-31

Supports · Athlete website biography: American identity, early swimming, Catalina career, Beth's role, seafood business and 2005 sale.

Limitations · Retrospective biography and swim list; broad firsts are not independently established here.

David Yudovin archive: The English Channel, UK

Checked 2026-10-31

Supports · Kathe Tanner's Telegram-Tribune report dated 31 August 1996, reproduced on the athlete site: August 20 departure, Dover preparation and conditions.

Limitations · 31 August is the article date, not the swim date. Describes prior attempts differently from later summary articles; no attempt count is adopted.

Career milestones

Catalina debut

1976

Completed his first Catalina Island-to-mainland crossing.

Successful Anacapa return

1982

The Hall of Fame records his completion after the interrupted 1978 attempt.

English Channel success

Tuesday, 20 August 1996

Completed England to France in 13:37:00.

Business transition

2005

His biography records the sale of Ocean Crystal Seafood to its employees.

International Swimming Hall of Fame

2014

Selected as an Honor Open Water Swimmer.

Recordings & media

David Yudovin: athlete biography

Open media page

Athlete media

Biographical account and selected swim history maintained on Yudovin's website.

Link checked 2026-10-31

The English Channel, UK

Open media page

Athlete media

Contemporary newspaper account reproduced on the swimmer's website; a written archive, not footage.

Link checked 2026-10-31

English Channel questions

Which English Channel swims are included for David Yudovin?: This profile includes 1 selected solo performance for David Yudovin. It is a selected history, not a complete career total. A continuous multi-way swim counts as one performance.
When was David Yudovin’s featured English Channel swim?: The featured swim started on Tuesday, 20 August 1996. Its exact completion date is not confirmed here.
How long did David Yudovin’s featured Channel swim take?: The featured solo crossing has a published elapsed time of 13 hours, 37 minutes and 0 seconds.

Supports · Reproduced March 2014 announcement of selection as an ISHOF Honor Open Water Swimmer and his fundraising work.

Limitations · Website posting date differs from the reproduced announcement date; milestone retained at year precision.

Latest source review 2026-10-31.