Rottnest Channel Swim
Encyclopedia
Open water swimming
Open water swimming takes place in outdoor bodies of water such as open oceans, bays, lakes, rivers, canals, and reservoirs.The beginning of the modern age of open water swimming is sometimes taken to be May 3, 1810, when Lord Byron swam several miles to cross the Hellespont from Europe to Asia.In...
event from Cottesloe Beach
Cottesloe, Western Australia
-Transport:Cottesloe is served by Swanbourne, Grant Street, Cottesloe, Mosman Park and Victoria Street railway stations on the Fremantle line. Various bus routes along Stirling Highway and through the suburb's western and eastern sections link Cottesloe to Perth and Fremantle. All services are...
to Rottnest Island
Rottnest Island
Rottnest Island is located off the coast of Western Australia, near Fremantle. It is called Wadjemup by the Noongar people, meaning "place across the water". The island is long, and at its widest point with a total land area of . It is classified as an A Class Reserve and is managed by the...
, off the coast of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, near Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
. It is open to solo swimmers and teams of two or four. It is one of the largest open water swimming events in the world. The distance is approximately 20 kilometres. It is competed by people of all ages with the youngest swimmer at just 13, Sandon Block, competing in the 2006 channel swim.
History
When Rottnest Island was used as a prison it was rumoured that some of the prisoners swam across the channel, although there is no proof that any did. However some may have crossed by resting on Carnac and Garden Islands.The first documented person to swim across was Gerd Von Dincklage-Schulinburg, on January 24, 1956.
On March 15, 1969, Herbert Voigt, also known as Mr. Shark Bait, disappeared while attempting to swim to the island.
The first woman to swim to the island was Lesley Cherriman, on April 13 of the same year.
Further reading
- Mair, Olivia.(1999) In the swim.(Feature on Perth to Rottnest long distance swimming race, the GIO Australia Channel 9 Rottnest Channel Swim which began in 1991). Perth weekly, 17-23 Feb. 1999, p.12-13,