Allison Shreeve sets off on her Bass Strait crossing. Picture: Chris Kidd
Allison was forced to pull out of her bid to cross the Bass Strait by Windsurfer due to mild hypothermia and cramps about 80km off the Victorian coast late today after leaving Tasmania just after 7.30am.
She had to contend with strong winds soon after leaving Stanley on Tasmania’s north-west coast and suffered cramps early in the crossing. The world’s No.1 female windsurfer was on course to shatter the record of 17 hours as she neared Inverloch on Victoria’s south-east coast but leg spasms made it impossible to carry on.
Allison was windsurfing at almost 30km/h and had expected to arrive at the beach in Inverloch after 6pm, which would have smashed the world record and make her the first woman to complete the journey on a windsurfer.