#ARC25 Day One Wrap

By Nick Jones at the Lake Barrington International Rowing Course

The 2025 Australian Rowing Championships have officially commenced, with small boats dominating the schedule on day one.

Challenging headwinds and rough conditions consumed much of the day, but the spirit of racing was undeterred, with fierce battles setting the stage for what's to come in the days ahead.

For the National Training Centre (NTC) athletes, it marked their first opportunity to return to domestic racing since the Paris Olympics.

Laura Gourley (UTS Haberfield Rowing Club / HPTNC) stamped herself as the clear favourite in the Open Women’s Single Sculls, clocking the fastest time in her heat by a comfortable 9.53s and earning direct qualification to Thursday morning’s A-Final.

“We prepared for some tricky water from the last time we were here [2021],” Gourley said.

“[The wind] always makes it interesting but I was just trying to stay relaxed and enjoy the race.”

Gourley, who sat in the three seat of the Women’s Quad Sculls in Paris, is no stranger to domestic success in the single.

This year, she’s joined by a strong field of peers - many of whom she’s raced alongside since Under 21s.

“This is my first year out of Under 23’s so it’s all of the people I used to race back during Under 21’s. It’ll be a really fun race.”

Bronwyn Cox (UWA Boat Club), a member of the Paris Women’s Eight, made the shift from sweep to scull and finished second in Heat 1, with Sophie Reinehr rounding out the top three.

Heat 2 saw standout performances, with Catherine Khan (ANU Boat Club) taking the win, followed by 2024 World Rowing Under 23 Champion Grace Sypher (Sydney Rowing Club).

Gourley is also set to feature in the Open Quad and will row for New South Wales in the prestigious Queen’s Cup.

But for her, the single remains a top priority.

“I’m really looking forward to getting the scull moving again. It’s always really enjoyable for me but I do love the crew boats.

“Excited for the Queen’s Cup race, I think we can really push on Victoria this year.”

For Nik Pender (UTS Haberfield Rowing Club / RBNTC), this week marks a significant return. Now in his first year as an NTC scholarship holder, Pender overcame a recent injury setback to win his heat in the Open Men’s Pair.

“For me, it’s a lot of changes in the last few weeks with sickness in the centre [Reinhold Batschi NTC] but to get the opportunity to row with a guy like Fergus [Hamilton] who’s just come back from the [Paris] Olympics and being able to jump in the Pair with him is always a fantastic opportunity,” Pender said.

“Getting as much racing experience as possible is the real goal here. To turn the wheels over and keep the boat churning.”

Pender and Hamilton (Mercantile Rowing Club / RBNTC) led Heat 1 from the back end, holding off a tight challenge from Rohan Lavery (MUBC) and Patrick Holt (UTS Haberfield Rowing Club).

They crossed the line in 7:10.09, with Lavery and Holt close behind at 7:12.82.

Heat 2 featured two more RBNTC crews leading the charge.

Mitch Salisbury (KAND Rowing Club / RBNTC) and Nick Smith (MUBC / RBNTC) took the win in 7:15.65, just ahead of Charlie Bartrouney (MUBC / RBNTC) and Austin Reinehr (Mercantile Rowing Club / RBNTC), who finished 5.88 seconds later.

Looking ahead, all eyes are on the King’s and Queen’s Cup regattas.

Gourley, without giving too much away, remained quietly confident in the sky blue.

“It’s hard to ignore Victoria’s strong history but I think this year we could give them a good run for their money. It’s coming together nicely but I don’t think we can count anyone out,” Gourley said.

Pender was more succinct: “We’ll give it a good shake.”

Stay connected and immerse in the action at #ARC25. For real-time updates and live results, click here. Don’t miss a moment – watch the action on our live stream as it unfolds on our YouTube channel. For more information, visit our official #ARC25 Website. Photos from the regatta are available at: https://www.australianrowingimages.com/

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