00:00The race is officially underway, so you're right, the Georgia Bass Surf Boat Marathon
00:07is on.
00:08We're in its 50th year.
00:09It started in 1975, and it's deeply rooted in surf life-saving culture, hence the surf
00:15boats.
00:16And the surf boats actually don't start here on shore, I've learned.
00:18They actually start out at sea, and then a horn goes off, and then that's when they start
00:23their race.
00:24The first leg is from Batemans Bay to Murillo, it's a 31 kilometer leg, and that's where
00:29they started.
00:30It's also worth mentioning that there are about 18 surf skis also participating in the
00:35George Bass this year, which was introduced in the 90s.
00:39It's an incredibly exciting event, it happens biannually, and it's just crazy because there
00:46were hundreds of people here before, they hailed from all parts of Australia, from New
00:50South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, even New Zealand were participating this year.
00:56It's a grueling race as well, so they've got their first leg, 31 Ks, from Batemans
01:01Bay to Murillo today.
01:04The second leg is from Murillo to Churros Head, that's 19 kilometers, so that's the
01:10shortest leg.
01:12The longest leg is, funnily enough, on day five, which is probably very challenging indeed
01:18because you're already five days into the race, and it's the longest leg of about 36
01:22kilometers.
01:23Look, participants here were incredibly excited about the days ahead.
01:28They've got seven days in them with this race, seven legs, 190 kilometers racing in the water
01:34from here all the way down to Eden, where they finish on the 4th of January.
01:38When they were here, this is what they had to say.
01:42We really wanted to be a part of this one, being the 50th anniversary.
01:46One of our rowers is actually still competing competitively, he actually rode in the 75
01:51race and he's still racing now.
01:53It's always with a bit of nerves, the body's getting a bit older, the rigors of 190 something
01:59Ks to get down the coast is quite a punish on the body, so we'll see how we go.
02:04It's a beautiful, beautiful day to be out here and the wet conditions look really good,
02:09so a very exciting start to the 50th year.
02:12Excited, but a little stressed, a little nervous, but yeah, it should be good.
02:17Once we get day one out of the way, it should be good.
02:20What makes this race so tough is you're out in the open ocean for one thing, so as long
02:25as you're not daunted by the deep ocean, that's one thing you have to overcome.
02:31Then you've got battling the elements, you've got currents, you've got swell and you've
02:35got wind.
02:36The wind is either your best friend in this race or your worst enemy.
02:40If you've got a southerly, you're fighting against it the whole way and unfortunately
02:44there is a little southerly today, so it's not the best start, but conditions are still
02:48relatively fine.
02:50If you have a northerly, right, you're going to go down the coast with a lot more speed
02:54than what you would have otherwise.
02:57This race continues, it started today, it continues through until the 4th of January,
03:03so thoughts to all the participants competing this year while everyone else is preparing
03:07for a lovely, relaxing new year on the beach, barbeque with friends.
03:11These rowers are digging in deep, rowing 190 kilometres all the way down to Eden.
03:17Hats off to them.
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