ITAItaly

Enrique Tirabocchi

First successful France-to-England crossing · 12 August 1923

Also recorded as Enrico Tiraboschi.

Alternative recorded name: Enrico Tiraboschi
Recorded country: Italy
Argentine connection: Lived and worked in Argentina before the crossing
Channel distinction: First recognised France-to-England crossing
Escort vessel: Champion · Calais tug
Landing place: Shakespeare Beach, Dover

Biography

Enrique Tirabocchi, also recorded as Enrico Tiraboschi, was an Italian swimmer whose sporting life was closely connected with Argentina. He lived and worked there before his Channel success, and accounts of his achievement reflect both Italian and Argentine associations. His crossing is recorded under Italy.

After unsuccessful attempts in 1921 and 1922, he completed the first recognised France-to-England swim on 12 August 1923. He landed at Shakespeare Beach, Dover, with the Calais tug Champion as his escort. The retrospective Channel record gives 16 hours and 33 minutes, substantially faster than Matthew Webb’s earlier crossing. Contemporary press histories contain competing timings, which remain qualified in the detailed record.

Tirabocchi’s success received attention on both sides of the Atlantic and made him an important figure in the growing international culture of marathon swimming. He gave his £1,000 Daily Sketch prize to the International Swimming Federation.

Selected Channel swim records

First recognised France-to-England crossing

Sources disagree

Tirabocchi became the fourth recognised successful Channel swimmer and the first to complete the route from France to England.

CSA, Dover Museum and TIME give 16h33m; the cited press study contains 16h25m and 16h23m plus conflicting dates. Exact timing remains unresolved.

Elapsed swim time · 16h 33m

16h 33m in the CSA record, Dover Museum archive and contemporary TIME account

Started · Exact start date not confirmed · Clock time not confirmed

Finished · Sunday, 12 August 1923 · Clock time not confirmed

Timing note · The selected finish date, 12 August 1923, and 16h33m follow the museum/CSA/TIME evidence already cited. The historical press study is internally inconsistent: its opening dates the achievement to 13 August and gives 16h23m, while its technical discussion reports 20:08 departure, 12:33 arrival and 16h25m. These are not reconciled. Structured clocks and a departure date remain unconfirmed; no date is calculated from elapsed time.

Format · Solo · 1-way

Direction · France → England

Departure · Cap Gris-Nez, France

Arrival · Shakespeare Beach, Dover, England

Pilot / piloting team · E. Douay

Escort vessel · Champion · Calais tug

Ratification / historical recognition · Historical swim; retrospective CSA record

How this record was checked

CSA record 2234 supplies the name variant, Italy, route and 16:33. Dover Museum photo records d12066 and d39404 identify the 12 August completion, Shakespeare Beach landing, pilot and tug. Contemporary TIME supports the time and pioneering route. The research literature exposes remaining timing differences; no original observer record has been inspected.

Channel Swimming Association: Enrico Tiraboschi, 1923

Checked 2026-10-30

Dover Museum archive: successful swimmer photograph d12066

Checked 2026-10-30

TIME, 20 August 1923: Channel Record

Checked 2026-10-30

Historia y Sociedad: research on Tiraboschi’s 1923 crossing and contemporary press

Checked 2026-10-30

Other events & swims

Tigre River distance swim

Open-water swimming · Solo swim

1913 · exact day not confirmed

Tigre River, Argentina

Completed a 20 km river swim, reported as a South American record at the time.

Elapsed time · 6h 35m

Published distance · 20 km

Historical account checked

How this event was checked

CONI’s Olympiabolario, footnote 6, connects Enrico Tiraboschi/Enrique Tirabocchi with the 1923 Channel crossing and reports this 1913 result. No exact date or modern ratification is asserted.

Italian National Olympic Committee — Olympiabolario, Mario Massa

Checked 2026-10-31

Supports · Footnote 6 identifies Enrico Tiraboschi as Enrique Tirabocchi and lists earlier river swims.

Limitations · Retrospective history, not an original timing sheet; no day or month for these two swims.

Paraná River distance swim

Open-water swimming · Solo swim

1916 · exact day not confirmed

Paraná River, Argentina

Completed a 34 km river swim.

Elapsed time · 10h 55m

Published distance · 34 km

Historical account checked

How this event was checked

The same CONI biographical footnote reports 34 km in 10:55 for 1916 and supplies the positive Channel identity bridge. This was a river distance swim, not a documented full-width crossing.

Italian National Olympic Committee — Olympiabolario, Mario Massa

Checked 2026-10-31

Supports · Footnote 6 identifies Enrico Tiraboschi as Enrique Tirabocchi and lists earlier river swims.

Limitations · Retrospective history, not an original timing sheet; no day or month for these two swims.

Career milestones

First documented Channel attempt

1921

An unsuccessful France-to-England attempt is recorded on 12 August.

Returned to the Channel

1922

Another unsuccessful attempt followed on 29 August.

Pioneered the France-to-England route

12 August 1923

The retrospective Channel record gives 16h 33m for the successful crossing.

International recognition

1923

His crossing attracted Italian, Argentine and international coverage; the museum records his prize donation.

Recordings & media

No reviewed recording is available for this entry.

English Channel questions

Which English Channel swims are included for Enrique Tirabocchi?: This profile includes 1 selected solo performance for Enrique Tirabocchi. It is a selected history, not a complete career total. A continuous multi-way swim counts as one performance.
When was Enrique Tirabocchi’s featured English Channel swim?: The featured swim finished on Sunday, 12 August 1923. Its exact start date is not confirmed here. Conflicting details are identified in the crossing record.
How long did Enrique Tirabocchi’s featured Channel swim take?: The featured solo crossing has a published elapsed time of 16 hours and 33 minutes. CSA, Dover Museum and TIME give 16h33m; the cited press study contains 16h25m and 16h23m plus conflicting dates. Exact timing remains unresolved.

Biography sources