Rats, Sharks, Jellyfish and Wolves (woff)

The Black-Ice team has just returned from another Rottnest Channel swim. I must
say that this trip just gets better every year. The weather was perfect
and water was beautiful.

The team crammed in four weeks of activity into just over four days . Jonno will be posting photos on the web when he arrives back from Perth late next week. Along with all the swimming photos, we have a special one to add

Anyway, the Rat is the Dutch word for Rott or Rottnest. The Shark was a Hammerhead which Kevin swam over two thirds of the way through the race. The Jellyfish were out there again in force and the Woff was my Hells Angel mate we met in Fremantle. The Woff is the oldest and shortest bikie in the world but he’s still the scariest.

Our team had our slowest time ever because the currents were against us. This didn’t worry us because we had a great time and I didn't want to come home.

I forgot to mention that our training sessions went a little over time but we eventually made it back to our rooms, even though we were on the wrong floor of our hotel….thanks to Harry and Terry.

Special thanks to our great support team with Brian our Skipper, Geoff his assistant
and Jan our Paddler. They were fantastic, and to you, Jan, I have something special in store for you next year! Thanks also to Jan’s husband, Don, for driving the boys around.

I can’t wait until next year and hope we can spend more time in this beautiful city.

At the Friday morning briefing, the race director brought music to our ears when she
told the crowd that any swimmer that wore a WETSUIT would be automatically disqualified.

Well done to Kevin on a great effort in finishing the solo swim for the second consecutive year. It was a good hit out in preparation for this year’s English Channel.

Kevin only needs to complete his eight hour swim on Anzac Day and he’ll be on his way. We’re very confident that he’ll join his fellow Black-Ice members who have
swum the Channel.

Bring on next year’s Rotto swim because Black-Ice would like to enter two teams
and race each over to the island.

Thank you to Alex, Harry, Terry, Jonno, Kevin, Sandra, Brian, Geoff, Jan, Don and the staff at our “team headquarters”, the “Little Creatures” bar.

See you all next year.

Alby