Top surf ski paddlers, surf boat crews and board paddlers will race on the River Derwent on Saturday as the Surf Safari returns for its 58th year.
Organisers describe it as Australia’s longest-running surf craft event, held continuously since the 1960s. Early races covered a “gruelling” 42km from Hobart to Lewisham via Lauderdale.
Racing starts at 11am on Saturday, with all events finishing at Long Beach in Sandy Bay.
The 18km surf ski and surf boat race will be run as a downwind event if conditions allow. Early forecasts of southerly winds favour a start at Tinderbox and organisers will confirm the course on social media.
In adverse conditions, the long course will be run out and back from Long Beach instead.
The 8km surf ski and surf boat races, 4km Malibu board race and 2km nipper board events will all start and finish at Long Beach.
The field includes Tasmanians who represented Australia at the recent ICF Ocean Racing World Championships in Spain, where Australia finished third overall.
In the open women’s surf ski, Burnie’s Phoebe Woodhouse will take on Olympian Kerry Hore and Clifton Beach’s Rita Schofield and Courtney Dowling. Woodhouse finished fourth in Spain and third at last weekend’s Shaw and Partners 20 Beaches race in Sydney.
Sam Norton, a multiple winner of the open men’s surf ski, returns after finishing fourth in Sydney. His rivals include former ironman champion Hamish Chapman, who won at Bicheno last month after returning to Tasmania from the Gold Coast and Burnie’s Brennan Machen and Ethan Mott.
In the open women’s surf boats, defending champions Burnie will face past winners Clifton Beach.
Crews from both clubs will also contest the open men’s race alongside a University of Tasmania rowing crew. Organisers said the university crew could challenge the “more fancied” surf club crews.
Entries close at 4pm on Friday, with no entries accepted on race day.
Spectators can watch the start and finish from Long Beach or follow the racing aboard Peppermint Bay Cruises, with tickets available online.
