By Nick Jones at the Lake Barrington International Rowing Course
Day Two of the 2026 Australian Rowing Championships, presented by Events Tasmania, delivered a full return to racing at Lake Barrington, with athletes wasting no time in laying down markers across the small boat events.
After yesterday’s disruption, competitors reset quickly and attacked their heats with intent, as the new progression system placed immediate pressure on every stroke.
All National Training Centre (NTC) athletes competing in the Open events this week are supported by Rowing Australia’s Patron Mrs Gina Rinehart AO and Hancock Prospecting, whose ongoing investment continues to underpin Australia’s high performance system.
The Open Women’s Single Scull heats showcased depth and quality across the field.
MUBC’s Romy Cantwell controlled Heat 1 from the front, stopping the clock at 7:42.95 ahead of Emily Sheppard (SUBC / HPNTC) and Catherine Khan (ANU).
Heat 2 saw Paris Olympian and Rowsella, Tara Rigney OLY (Mosman) produce one of the rows of the day, dominating from the start to win in 7:34.72, the fastest time across all heats.
She finished well clear of Grace Sypher (Sydney) and Rebecca Pretorius (SRRC / HPNTC).
In Heat 3, Paige Barr OLY (Mercantile / HPNTC) delivered a composed performance to take the win in 7:37.97, moving through the field after sitting second early.
Speaking post-race, Barr reflected on the unusual build-up and her transition back into sculling:
“The road back into the single was pretty rough, but yeah, I just wanted to get the race done with,” said Barr.
“A few of us [HPNTC athletes] are sculling for ARC. But we did put in a big block in the single before the Christmas break. So, we should be okay to be racing the sculls now, even though it's been a hot minute.”
With semifinals looming, Barr emphasised a calmer approach:
“I think just be a bit calmer and more relaxed with it… trusting that I know what I'm doing and see what happens… put my best foot forward.”
Barr also highlighted the strong connection between elite athletes and the next generation at Lake Barrington, particularly her old school, Gippsland Grammar who are racing and volunteering at the regatta.
“I love it when the schools come up to me and just say hi,” said Barr.
“It's just great to be a role model and try and show them what life is like after school rowing.”
“The [Gippsland] girls quad just won Head of the Schoolgirls, which I love to see. I had one of them holding me up at the start line today. I just love the culture.”
The Open Men’s Single Scull heats produced some of the tightest racing of the regatta so far.
Cormac Kennedy-Leverett (Sydney) set the tone in Heat 1, leading from start to finish in 6:52.26, with Mitchell Reinhard (Adelaide / RBNTC) and Pasha Bevan (Sydney) following through.
Heat 2 delivered a thriller, with Marcus Della Marta (SUBC / RBNTC) edging Nick Blackman (AUBC / RBNTC) by just 0.51 seconds, while Dominic Frederico (Mercantile) remained within a second of the winner in third, underlining the depth of the field.
Della Marta highlighted the competitive pressure and tactical demands of the new progression system:
“It's a funny thing being in the RBNTC coming to these regattas… there's people coming for you… for me, it's just about trying to stay composed, knowing I've always got something in that last 250 metres,” said Della Marta.
“I knew with the new progression system for the open single that if you're still in third place, you had didn’t have a shot at making it through to the semi, so you had to keep going.”
Looking ahead, he remained focused on execution:
“I think any race you sign up for, you want to go out and win… how well can I execute come Thursday?”
Elsewhere, Alex Rossi (WARC / RBNTC), Hamish Danks (SUBC) and Jackson Free (KAND / RBNTC) all secured convincing heat wins to progress.
The PR3 Men’s Single Scull saw Cormac Hayes (Canberra) take control after the halfway mark to win in 7:32.87, ahead of Flynn Wilkinson (Sydney) and Sam Stunell (Adelaide / RBNTC).
In the PR3 Women’s Single Scull, Wallis Russell (UQBC) delivered a dominant performance, leading every marker to win in 8:00.73, with Susannah Lutze PLY (Mercantile / RBNTC) and Ella Marshall (Barwon / RBNTC) completing the podium positions heading into the final.
The Open Women’s Coxless Pair heats produced strong statements from NTC combinations.
Bronwyn Cox OLY/Georgie Rowe OLY (UWABC / UTS / HPNTC) and Jacqui Swick OLY/Giorgia Patten OLY (SRRC / WARC / HPNTC) claimed heat wins, while combinations of Katie Easton/Jaime Ford (MUBC / HPNTC) and Emmie Frederico/Laura Gourley OLY (Mercantile / UTS / HPNTC) also progressed confidently into the A Final.
In the Open Men’s Coxless Pair, Olympic champion Alex Hill OAM (Adeliade / RBNTC) and partner Angus Dawson (Adelaide / RBNTC) stamped their authority on the event, winning Heat 1 in 6:31.89. The pair were last seen racing together at ARC21 where they won the event.
Hill welcomed the return to domestic racing with Dawson:
“Same mission this time around, so that's been good fun rowing around with Dawson again,” said Hill.
“It's just good to get racing underway again… get one under the belt.”
While attention remains on individual events, athletes already have one eye on Sunday’s Interstate Regatta, where state pride and legacy take centre stage.
For Barr, representing Victoria carries meaning beyond just the Queen’s Cup crew:
“We'll put our best foot forward bring some culture and get around it,” said Barr.
“I mean it's not just about the girls in the boat but the whole Victoria team, the reserves, everyone around us.”
Marcus Della Marta, racing for NSW in the President’s Cup (Interstate Men’s Single), highlighted how the Interstate Regatta presents a completely different tactical challenge, particularly with athletes backing up across events:
“That's a different race… there's going to be some tired legs out there… you might find that some boys might go, okay, I'm not going to win this race. It's time to pull it down a bit and get ready for the King’s Cup an hour and a half later,” said Della Marta.
“Even if it's the same boat, it's a different race in itself because boys are backing up. It's the Sunday. All the pressure of the open single's gone.”
For South Australia’s Alex Hill OAM, the focus remains simple as the King’s Cup approaches:
“Not sure, we'll just wait and see. We're going well,” said Hill.
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