Red Nose MusselRowerssurfboat team make history as first all-female crew to cross Bass Strait.
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Surfboat rowers make history by becoming the first all-female crew to cross the notorious stretch of Bass Strait, battling rough conditions, blisters and dizziness.
- All-female crew crossed Bass Strait in seven days
- They faced difficult conditions throughout the trip.
- He also broke a world record for the distance covered in one day.
A team of surf boat rowers has broken a world record on their way to history as the first all-female crew to cross the famous Bass Strait.
The eight women left Port Welshpool in southern Victoria a week ago to begin their 200-mile journey to Tasmania through notoriously rough stretches of water.
The NSW-based team, which was raising money for sudden infant death syndrome research. it reached Musselroe Bay, in the far northeast of Tasmania, shortly after noon on Saturday.
During the trip, the Red Nose MusselRowers also claimed a world record for the longest distance covered by any surfboat marathon crew in one day.
The team, which was raising money for sudden infant death syndrome research. arrived at Musselroe Bay in the far northeast of Tasmania just after noon on Saturday
Each team member rowed for two hours with a break every half hour. They would then trade with four other women who were riding in a support boat behind them.
They were left with blisters and battled tough conditions while covering 25 to 55 miles a day.
In all, they stopped six times on islands they encountered along the voyage, and camped overnight at Refuge Bay, Hogan Island, Deal Island, Roydon Island, Trousers Point, and Preservation Island.
“It was extremely emotional, we all cried getting off the boat, knowing everyone is behind us is great,” said crew member Shannon Small. abc.
Ashleigh Bujeya said they faced difficult conditions throughout.
“I looked at my watch and we were doing zero kilometers (per hour) for a while and we were pushing 98 per cent, so the last hour was tough, but the whole week has been tough and fun,” he said.
There were smiles all around when the team arrived at Musselroe Bay on Saturday.
“One of the crew was vomiting all day: he couldn’t stand up, he couldn’t sit down, he couldn’t get dressed, he couldn’t do anything.
‘Then they got in the boat, rowing like absolute champs. Just to work four, six, eight, ten hours a day and get up the next day and do it again, everyone has recovered very well.
Michelle Cottington said there were some unexpected challenges.
“Day two, 89km, that was the world record, not just because we beat the men, but anyone who’s ever rowed a surf boat,” he said.
“We did 89 kilometers, which was a 12-hour row with massive swell, it was crazy.”
The team raised funds for Red Nose Australia, a charity that supports families affected by the death of an infant or child and Australia’s leading authority on advice for safer sleep and safer pregnancy.
More than 3,200 Australian babies die each year from SIDS each year.
They were left with blisters and described going through difficult conditions, covering between 40 and 89 kilometers a day.