Coten favourite to win his sixth Albany Harbour Swim while Southern Ocean Classic returns after two-year break

It is a big weekend for ocean swimming with major events coming to Albany and Denmark on Saturday and Sunday.

Max Coten will be bidding for an amazing sixth victory on the trot in the Albany Harbour Swim on Saturday, while the Sunsmart Southern Ocean Classic returns to Ocean Beach, Denmark, for the first time in two years the following day.

Coten, from Perth, holds the Harbour Swim record, which he set during his fifth victory last year.

He covered the 4km from Princess Royal Sailing Club to the Anzac Peace Park in a mighty 44min. 57sec. finishing in style with his trademark dolphin plunges.

Race director Simon Smith said 140 swimmers had registered for the 2026 event as of Wednesday lunchtime, but he was expecting more to be added to the field as the weather forecast was ideal.

“This is going to be the fifth year in a row that we’ve had pristine conditions,” he predicted.

“We are going to have a glass-off; it’s going to be a cracker.”

Back on the calendar after a two-year hiatus is Denmark’s Southern Ocean Classic Mile which takes place at Ocean Beach on Easter Sunday.

On hold while the Denmark Surf Club and Ocean Beach precinct had a major upgrade, the 1600m race can be either a challenging slog through choppy surf or a super-smooth glide through beautiful waters.

Coten was the last winner of the Southern Ocean Classic, backing up his 2023 Harbour Swim victory with another huge swim the following day.

That day he stopped the clock at 19:25 for a second consecutive triumph and the good news is he is registered for another crack on Sunday.

The race was cancelled in 2024 because of the construction of a new sea wall and fell victim to the rebuilding in 2025 as well.

Nicole Hodgson, of the race organising committee, said the race was part of a suite of events at the club over the weekend.

Marathon swimmer Andrew Donaldson — a multiple world record holder and previous Ocean Classic winner — is speaking at Finding Your Flow, a Surf Club fundraiser on Saturday, before aiming to give Coten a run for his money the next day.

“It has been great having Ocean Beach accessible again,” Hodgson said.

“There’s a real hub of events around the classic which has always been a peak community event over Easter weekend.”

The Harbour Swim starts at Princess Royal Sailing Club at 7.30am on April 3.

The Southern Ocean Classic Mile starts at 10am at Ocean Beach, Denmark on April 4.