This year 26 TAS rowers are taking to the water in three boys’ Fours, a boys’ and girls’ quad scull and single sculls.

Building their racing experience at regattas at Grafton and Taree during their summer holidays, the crews have been refining technique to compete at the Sydney International Regatta Centre at Penrith, built for the 2000 Olympic Games.

The boys’ coxed quad scull had their finale at the NSW Rowing Schoolboy Head of the River on Sunday (25 February), recording a personal best time of the season.

The girls’ quad is hoping for a similar season best over 2000m at the Schoolgirl Head of the River this weekend.

“It’s been great to see the way the girls’ program has expanded this year with coxswains and a single sculler, and we’re hoping we can record our fastest time yet this weekend,” said bow seat rower Georgie O’Brien, who is in her second season of the sport at TAS.

Meanwhile the season for the three boys’ coxed Fours will culminate at the annual AAGPS Head of the River on 17 March.

“Most of the rowers have been new to the sport this year and the progress of each rower and crew has been incredible,” Captain of Boats Henry Hughes said.

“Having trained for months early in the morning and in the evenings at Malpas Dam and at camps and regattas, the camaraderie in the rowing shed is very tight and our crews are really supportive of each other. We’ve all set our goals that we are striving to achieve and are looking forward to finishing our season on a high.”