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Yesterday, a Bermagui rower was hit on the head by her boat after being knocked out by a wave. Broulee’s support boat driver underwent surgery this morning after he broke his ankle and three toes yesterday and Anglesea’s veteran sweep withdrew from the race after he injured his back.

Samantha Derrick, rowing for Woolamai, fractured her arm, while her sweep remains in doubt for the remainder of the marathon after he was admitted to hospital on the opening day suffering heart palpitations.

Derrick, rowing in her first Bass, said it had been a tough week.

“The Bass definitely is as tough and as hard as they make it out to be,” she said.

Despite the tough conditions, the rowers have all banded together, evident yesterday when Moruya SLSC’s Luke Price and Broulee Surfers SLSC Rhys Harris came to the aid of Bermagui rowers and rowed them out to sea for the commencement of the race.

Conditions were that bad at Coila Beach at Tuross Head, that the 200-odd spectators applauded when they got to sea safely.

Price’s generosity didn’t end there, however, as the Vikings rower volunteered to sweep the Anglesea Veterans crew when their sweep retired from the race.

“I think the great thing about the Bass is everyone is such a strong team - not just within their own crew, but the whole organisation chips in and does everything needed from feeding rowers, massages, or helping out opposition crews when they are short of rowers,” Price said.

“I think every competitor, especially the new ones, are getting an idea of how the Bass works and that it really takes a whole team effort.”

Conditions will not get any easier for the competitors today, with the Bureau of Meteorology predicting a 25-knot southerly change, a 1.5m to 2m swell and isolated thunderstorms.