Publication:Sea Talk Autumn 2008/Navy George Bass Surfboat Marathon
By LEUT Don Hogarth
Late last year, Navy with the help of Defence Force Recruiting, secured the naming rights to one of the toughest endurance races on the water - the George Bass Surfboat Marathon.
Aptly named after Commander George Bass, who explored the coast from Sydney to Westernport in an old whale boat and with a crew of six 210 years ago, the race brought together male and female crews from around the country.
Over seven consecutive days these crews battled each other and some quite punishing seas in a race from Batemans Bay to Eden, a row of 180 kms.
The sponsorship provided a fertile and cost-effective tool to engage DFR’s target demographic and position Navy as a worthwhile organisation where people work in teams to achieve outstanding things.
Moreover, the George Bass Marathon is congruent with the ‘Navy – the team works’ and with Navy in the fullest and broadest sense. Further, Navy was able to demonstrate its support for the terrific work done by the surf life saving movement.
Since 1975 Australia’s surf life savers have come together on 15 occasions to challenge themselves to a race along 174 km of Australia’s southern coast line. And given its clear association with Naval and maritime history and the values its participants share with Naval members - such as team work, courage and a sense of adventure – it’s fitting for Navy to forge this alliance.
Race veteran and surfboat legend Bert Hunt said that the 2008 Marathon was in fact one of the toughest races to date; with a cyclone off the coast of Queensland throwing all sorts of conditions, including big surf and southerly winds, at competitors.
“The conditions often saw competitors switching from race mode back to their primary role as lifesavers to assist each other out of prickly situations that resulted in stitches, bruises and broken equipment,” Bert said.
“At Narooma we pulled 35 competitors out of the water at the start of a leg in the race when surf boats, surf skis and inflatable rubber boats were overturned.
“It was on occasions like this when the surf lifesaving crews truly displayed what team work is all about. They were called on to stop being competitors for a while and help out fellow paddlers in their role as lifesavers, and they did.”
The initial chaotic start of the Narooma leg saw the race held up for about an hour while support staff attended to damaged equipment, fished people out of the surf, and treated competitor’s injuries.
“During this race the training that surf life savers undertake came to the forefront. The Australian public should be very proud that their lifesavers, when faced with difficult conditions, are capable of pulling off the biggest of rescues, which they effectively did during the 2008 Navy George Bass,” Bert said.
“Given the conditions the number of injuries was significantly low though which indicates that this years crews were better prepared and that people are beginning to gain a better understanding of marathon events.
“The George Bass Marathon is certainly not for the weak. Just completing the race is pretty special – there are a lot of tough things that people will do in their life times but nothing as tough as the Bass.”
It’s a race though, and someone’s got to win it. This year it was the Bateman’s Bay Lifesaving Club, NSW, which took home the trophy in the men’s division and the Woolamai team from Phillip Island, Victoria, which won the women’s competition.
In second place was Bulli from Wollongong, for the men, and Canberra for the women’s; while third place went to Burnie, Tas, for the men, and Bermagui, NSW for the women.
A field of 18 crews joined in the 2008 competition, with 11 male teams and seven female crews and Navy is looking to start it’s own team for 2009.
