Almost 200 competitors set to take the plunge for 25th edition of Albany Harbour Swim on Easter Saturday

Open water expert Max Coten will be hoping for a fifth successive win in the annual Albany Harbour Swim which takes place on Easter Saturday in the Princess Royal Harbour. Some 180 competitors have entered the 25th anniversary of the 4km swim with the battle for top spot set to be a repeat of 2024, when Perth’s Coten came home ahead of Rebekah Weller. As well as finishing runner-up overall, Weller won the women’s race. This time she is hoping to add to her four female crowns in 10 years. This year’s swimmers are made up of 130 solo competitors and 22 teams. The event starts at 7.30am from the Princess Royal Sailing Club and ends at Anzac Peace Park. It features both both open water and wet-suit events, although those sporting wet-suits are ineligible for prizes because of the extra buoyancy they provide. The relay team event is for groups of two or four while competitors can also swim one kilometre, 2km or 4km according to race director Simon Smith. “One of the features of this very safe open water event is that because of the position of boats at one kilometre, 2km and 3km, swimmers can tackle those distances,” he said. Other safety craft will also be in the water, he said, co-ordinated by the Albany Surf Life Saving Club. “There is always a festive feel at the start and at the finish,” Mr Smith said. “The 25th running of the event makes it special, but the really big one will be in 2026, the bicentennial year.” Mr Smith said the weather forecast looks ideal with a gentle five-knot wind from the south predicted for the race.