Halfway through our sailing across the English Channel from Dover, we spotted the shores of France. The entire crossing was only going to take one and a half hours. At 31 standard miles or 27 nautical miles, this route is the shortest sailing from England to France. From our vantage point, we could see the white cliffs of England on one side and the golden beaches of France on the other side. Beside us were clippers and other ferries flying either the English or French flags.