Coffee crew makes a splash in first GeoBay Classic

After numerous hours in the water, a hot coffee would have to be the logical go-to for most people.

So it made perfect sense for the organisers of the region’s newest open-water swim event to have a qualified coffee roaster in their back pocket.

Yahava KoffeeWorks are head sponsors of the 2023 inaugural Geo Bay Cool Water Classic – with a longstanding coffee connection thanks to remarkable England-born Charlotte O’Beirne, who now lives in Margaret River.

‘Charlie’ as she is known, swims purely and simply for the love of it.

It has been her way to exercise, her way to overcome fears and frustrations and over the years, a way to meet an incredible array of people.

It was this joy of swimming that she wanted to share with others and so she formed the group ‘Swimming Women’.

Owner of Yahava KoffeeWorks Margaret River Harriet Stocker was introduced to Charlie in 2007, and was introduced to her unbridled enthusiasm for swimming.

Seven years later, Harriet finally joined Swimming Women and so began her love of ocean swimming.

The group has grown to such an extent that this year’s Busselton Jetty Swim had over 200 Swimming Women members of all ages participate, from all around the Capes region.

Harriet’s enthusiasm has inspired her own friends and employees to splash out for the pure joy of it, and with her encouragement there will be four Yahava Margaret River teams taking on the Geo Bay Cool Water Classic.

“The prospect of helping establish this event here in the Southwest and getting it onto the international calendar, had us really excited,” Yahava KoffeeWorks owner Claire Thomson explained.

“While the swim will appeal to hard core competitors, there will be many more ‘funsters’ taking part and that’s very much in the DNA of our Yahava customers.

“We love to plunge into ‘reachable’ adventures like this, especially when it is about having fun and enjoying the beautiful WA coast. Yahava Kwik Koffee Drive Thrus will also have teams from different stores around the state line up at the start line.”

Unlike traditional point to point distance swims, this follows Geographe Bay’s iconic beach from Dunsborough, 20 kilometres to the famous Busselton Jetty. Hugging the shoreline eliminates the need for motorised support vessels.

“We intend on having a pop up Yahava Kwik Koffee Beach Lounge at the halfway point so spectators can caffeinate with their toes in the sand and urge swimmers on,” Thomson said.

The Beach lounge will be accessible from the Abbey Boat ramp and will be open from 8am until midday.

The Yahava KoffeeWorks Geo Bay Cool Water Classic will start at the Dunsborough Fisherman’s Boat Ramp, 7.00am Saturday November 11.