English Channel latter part of the 19th century when Captain Matthew Webb made the first observed and unassisted swim across the Strait of Dover, swimming from England to France on 24–25 August 1875 in 21 hours 45 minutes. In 1927, at a time when fewer than ten swimmers (including the first woman, Gertrude Ederle in 1926) had managed to emulate the feat and many dubious claims were being made, the Channel Swimming Association (CSA) was founded to authenticate and ratify swimmers' claims to have swum the Channel and to verify crossing times. The CSA was dissolved in 1999 and was succeeded by
Rottnest Channel Swim completed the swim at the age of 13 in 1994. Despite the modest success of the 1956 event, another organised race to the island would not be held until February 23, 1991, with sixteen solo swimmers and seven teams competing. The success of the swim lead it to it becoming an annual event. Due to the overwhelming popularity of the race, a ballot has been held since 2006 to limit the number of participants in the competition. Rottnest Channel Swim The Rottnest Channel Swim is an annual open water swimming event from Cottesloe Beach through Gage Roads to Rottnest Island,