ARC shines at 2026 SA Rowing Championships

The 2026 South Australian Rowing Championships delivered three unforgettable days of racing at the iconic A.M. Ramsay Regatta Course — and Adelaide Rowing Club rose to the occasion with pride, determination, and true club spirit.

Held from Friday 6 February to Sunday 8 February, the state’s best athletes lined up to contest Championship titles for every boat class over the international 2000m standard.

Notwithstanding the non-availability of ARC's NTC athletes through injury and Australian team obligations, 21 locally-based ARC athletes once again demonstrated the Club's depth and upheld the values which keep ARC at the forefront of South Australian rowing.

Performances to be Truly Proud of

Not every crew can take home the chocolates, but we are incredibly proud of every ARC member who took to the water!

There were some brave tenacious performances that went to the wire; others were notable for the improvement and gains made.

Honourable mentions go to:

• ARC's "Captain Courageous" Celia Cowan in the Open Women's Lightweight Single

• The Open Men's Quad rowing back through to claim 2nd place on the line (Jono McKay, Igor Zarubin, Alex Lee, Josh Lasscock)

• Jono McKay & Josh Lasscock in the final of the Open Men's Single Scull

• Sam Williams in the U21 Lightweight Men's Single Scull

Full set of ARC results HERE...

ARCs 2026 State Champions

ARC claimed a total of 8 Championships over the weekend, including:

• Under 21 Men's Single Scull - Igor Zarubin

• Under 21 Men's Coxed Four - Ren Anderson, Alex Lee, Sam Williams, Tom O'Mahony & Jess Lobban

• Under 21 Men's Quad Scull - Ren Anderson, Alex Lee, Igor Zarubin & Tom O'Mahony

• Open Women's Lightweight Double Scull - Celia Cowan & Ella McKay

• Open Women's Coxless Pair - Tamara Bates & Grace Barrera

• Open Women's Double Scull - Mieka Webb& Sasha Humble

• Open Women's Coxless Four - Celia Cowan, Belle Townsend, Mieka Webb & Rhi Sandow

and last, but far, far from least ...

A Race for 'The Next 100 Seasons'

In a race that will be remembered in ARC folklore for many years to come, ARC claimed the 2026 Open Women's Eight Final with a truly assertive, tough - and ultimately - dominant performance!

As a straight final and without any previous head-to-head racing this season, this was a race without a form guide, leaving the pundits & commentators on the banks speculating on the likely result between:

• Adelaide University - their tremendous depth in numbers saw them enter two quality eights, always an ominous indicator for fast performances.

• The Schoolgirl Eights - Seymour, Walford & Wilderness have been duking it out in the Schoolgirl races this season - as polished combinations, they were always going to put up great performances.

Meanwhile, the under-stated ARC crew went into the race - as defending champions - with quiet & contained optimism, intent on focussing on their boat alone and executing their plan in the tricky following conditions, so typical of a February afternoon at West Lakes.

With eyes glued firmly to start line via the drone footage on the massive big screen on the RowingSA lawn - all six crews launched for the final race of the Championships. Matching 'shock-and-awe' starts from Walford and ARC saw these boats go bow-ball to bow-ball over the first 1000m, before Seymour and AUBC both made their moves with aggressive intent through the 3rd 500m.

With the benefit of doing the early work and being able to see the field coming at them, the ARC boat absorbed the pressure with calm maturity. Attack after attack came, and the race was never settled until 150m out - after the ARC crew, having timed their run perfectly, put the foot down with length, power and precision - to stride away & finish 1-1/2 lengths clear of Seymour, another 1/2 length back to AUBC in third.

The clock was stopped in a blistering 6 min 38 seconds, with the E.M. Morrison Perpetual Trophy returning to the ARC shed for the second year in a row!

This wasn't just a result - it was a synchronous & unified display of Ambition, Respect and Camaraderie in motion on the water!

Congratulations to our 2026 State Champions in the Open Women's Eight - from stroke to bow: Tamara Bates, Grace Barrera, Sasha Humble, Mieka Webb, Ella McKay, Izzy Lease, Belle Townsend, Celia Cowan, cox Emma Venus & super-coach Daren Potts.

Missed this epic? Re-live the Open Women's Eight Final here https://youtu.be/KZp_h3sTNaU?t=28052

A Celebration of Culture, Camaraderie, & Club Values

Beyond the medals and race results, the Championships once again showcased what makes Adelaide Rowing Club exceptional:

Ambition.

Respect.

Camaraderie.

These values were unmistakably on display — from athletes supporting one another between races to coaches and volunteers ensuring every crew was set up for success. The atmosphere around the ARC shed all weekend reflected the spirit of a Club determined not only to compete, but to uplift one another, celebrate the sport, and race with pride.

ARC Says Thanks & Congrats

Rowing regattas take more than just boats, oars and rowers... the work that goes on behind the scenes is immense, and we'd like to thank both RowingSA and the wider SA Rowing community for putting on such a spectacular 3-day festival of racing.

From the Boat Race Officials who kept crew's fair and straight, to the RowingSA staff and regatta volunteers who make it all happen off the water - Thank YOU!

Congratulations to all the rowers, coxswains, coaches and supporters who participated from each Club or School - whether the on-water results went your way or not, you put on some brilliant performances to showcase our Sport to the World!

• Of particular note - the Final of the Open Men's Eight was damn-FAST - easily amongst the fastest races on record at West Lakes despite relatively dead & power-hungry conditions...

We now turn our attention towards the 2026 Australian Rowing Championships & Interstate Regatta in a few weeks time at the splendid & picture-perfect Lake Barrington International Regatta Centre, knowing that SA rowing is in great shape and ready to take on the best of the rest!