MOSMAN Park solo swimmers Thomas and James Beare thought their 2017 Rottnest Channel Swim was over when their support boat broke down just off Cottesloe Beach on Saturday morning.
The brothers were forced to tread water for 45 minutes near the Leeuwin boat until another solo swimmer invited them to join his crew.
A relieved Laura Beare, James’ wife, did a quick shop at the Cottesloe General Store to replace the food and drinks that were on their stricken boat and surf lifesavers took the goods to their new support boat.
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READ NOWThomas and James crossed the finish line at Rottnest Island together in just over seven hours and 39 minutes.
Claremont resident Rhys Mainstone and his Rokeby Dental team were Champions of the Channel for the second consecutive year crossing the line in just over four hours.
The group has won the team event for the past three years.
Mainstone said they swam in a “banana shape” this year rather than straight, which was their strategy last year.
He said they started with one-minute changeovers and changed to 40 second changeovers at the halfway mark.
“We’re just pleased to be able to do it three times in a row,” Mainstone said.
Olympian Jarrod Poort from NSW said he “came here to win” after he made the 19.7km crossing in four hours and 12 minutes.
Rebekah Weller managed to overtake last year’s female winner Jaime Bowler in the field to be the first female solo swimmer across the line in four hours and 52 minutes.
Weller celebrated her 23rd birthday on the day.
Bowler crossed the line three minutes after Weller.