GO! Girls Outdoors

Bass Strait is one of the most treacherous stretches of water in the world.  It’s position in the aptly named Roaring Forties results in high winds, huge waves and fast flowing currents.  Even large boats can come to grief in the Strait - most Australians will remember the tragedy during the 1998 Sydney to Hobart yacht race where six lives were lost and more than half the boats did not finish the race.

None of this, however, has deterred Allison Shreeve who has made it her goal to windsurf across Bass Strait.  Her trip is 240km long, from Stanley on the northern coast of Tasmania to Tidal River at Wilsons Promontory in Victoria, which she hopes to do in less than eight hours.  and she hopes to complete her task by the end of February 2009.  The trip will be part of the ‘Life on the Edge’ campaign, in which Australian’s will collectively travel the entire length of Australia’s coastline, 36,000km, using non-motorised transport.  The campaign will help to raise one million dollars in support of Coastcare projects across Australia. 

As well as assisting Coast Care in their efforts, on her successful completion of Bass Strait, Allison will break a new sailing record as the first female to windsurf across the Strait.  Having set a couple of speed records for windsurfing in the past, including the A-Class World Speed Record of 27.7 knots (51.2km/hr) and the Australian Women’s Speed Record of 32.84 knots (60.8km/hr), Allison also hopes to crack the thirteen and a half hour record for crossing Bass Strait.  She predicts she will average around 15 to 20 knots (28 - 37km/hr) and get across to Tidal River in 8-9 hours.

Allison bases herself in Sydney, although her windsurfing commitments take her away for six to ten months of the year.  She started out in track and field and only crossed over to water sports at the age of 15.  Ten years of hard work have seen Allison achieve amazing things in the sport of windsurfing - she is the four-time World Champion, ranked Number 1 in the world in Formula Windsurfing and was Australian Female Sailor of the Year in 2006.  In windsurfing championships she also holds her own amongst the men, achieving great results in the mens' as well the womens' events.

For more information on Allison’s Bass Strait crossing, to follow her progress live with GPS tracking or to make a donation, go to www.aus911.com. You can also become a fan on Facebook.

For more information about the ‘Life on the Edge’ campaign, click here to visit the Coastcare website.

To see the Nine News story about Allison's trip across the Strait, click here.

Photos are from Allison's website. 

March 09 update - Allison had a fantastic go at the Strait, only to succumb to cramp much closer to Victoria than Tasmania.  Well done Allison, and we hope to see you out there again soon!