In a history-making day for the Apple Isle, Allie Britton and Ella Coates finished with gold and silver for a Tassie quinella in the elite women’s race – a first for Tasmania.

Then Ellie Picken charged over the line to add her name to the history books, taking gold in the under-19 girls’ race while Ryan Kelly finished second in the under-19 boys’ race.

Britton opened up a commanding lead in the elite women’s race after the 14.6-kilometre ski leg from Coolangatta to Miami, and was never headed as she covered the 32.4km course in three hours, 54 minutes, 39 seconds.

Originally from Carlton Park, near Hobart, Britton moved to the Gold Coast 12 weeks ago to join North Burleigh, while Coates, who was a Nipper from aged eight at Port Sorell near Devonport, has been at Northcliffe for the past six months.

Tasmanian surf lifesaving godfather, Don Marsh (Carlton Park), the oldest competitor in the field at 64, finished fourth across then line in the 50-plus masters.

‘‘I thought I would give the Gold another go after moving to North Burleigh and I tried to stay relaxed during the race,’’ said Britton, who admitted that leaving Hobart after 10 years was the hardest thing she’d ever done.

‘‘The long course will definitely be in the cards next year; it looks like the longer the better might suit me.

‘‘And with Ella Coates, my good friend from Tassie, finishing second, we could not have asked for a better finish.’’

Coates said conditions in Queensland were vastly different to what she was used to in Tasmania.

‘‘Growing up in Tassie, you go training in the morning at 4.30am and if you’ve left your ski on the top of your car, you have to chip the ice out of your foot wells,’’ she said.

‘‘While you have to wear your thermals in Tassie, all you have to worry about in Queensland is sunscreen and hats, but it makes it all worthwhile when you cross that line.’’

Five-time winner Caine Eckstein and defending champion Liz Pluimers will headline the men’s and women’s open fields in today’s long-course events.