The competitors in the legendary George Bass Surfboat Marathon relished being back on the open ocean for Day 4 after being landlocked due to horrendous weather for the two previous legs.
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That stormy weather continued on Wednesday but had settled sufficiently for a modified course from Bermagui north to Cemetery Beach at Tilba and back.
Large swells, rain squalls, steep chop and chocolate-coloured water all added to the excitement.
The Narooma veterans team sweep Brendan Constable and surf ski paddler Nick Ziviani both said the rough conditions off Bermagui were enjoyable and that it was great to be ocean racing after the two previous days on the flat water on Wagonga Inlet and Moruya River the two previous legs.
The Narooma rowers won the leg after being tailed by North Cronullla for much of the race.
“I’m very happy,” Brendan Constable said. “The boys rowed really well and dug deep.”
He said it was good fun to be back on the ocean with the swells offering “a few runs here and there”.
Surf ski paddler Nick Ziviani also said he had a good run with another second place and the open ocean was easier to paddle than the flat water.
Both he and the rowers were however concerned about tomorrow’s forecast for strong southerly winds for the longest leg from Bermagui to Tathra, with race organisers considering various options including reversing the leg or doing another circuit out of Bermagui if conditions were really bad.
The Narooma Surf Life Saving contingent were now heading to set up camp at Tathra for the remainder of the race that ends in Eden on Saturday, with the presentation being at Tathra that night.