The biggest, longest relay race in the world, the WAtoday Rottness Channel Swim which started in 1956, ended another year of marine challenges and endurance memories for the athletes, pilots, organizers, volunteers and fans. Tim Hewitt emerged victorious, winning the WAtoday 2011 Rottness Channel Swim in 4 hours and 50 minutes.

But he worked for it among 2,300 other solo and relay competitors in rough, warm-water conditions. “It was hard today. We started off pretty strongly but we got stopped by a ship at 7km, so it was like two races today.”

Oliver Wilkinson came in six minutes later in second place, followed by the first woman Louise Stevenson from Christchurch, New Zealand.

Besides the rough conditions, stingers were out in abundance, but the athletes accepted the situation including Jaime Bowler who was fourth overall and the second woman with a time of 5 hours and 11 minutes. Ben Hewitt, brother of the winner, finished fifth place followed by Peter Thompson in sixth.

The first team was 20k’s Anyday of Ross Briggs, Chris Guard, Sean Noone and Ricky Smith with a time of 4 hours and 36 minutes while the first-placed duo was Team Stryker with Simon Le Couillard and Heidi Gan (4 hours 57 minutes).

Copyright © 2011 by Open Water Source