The Dennington-based club will co-host the event with Hamilton Rowing Club at Lake Hamilton across Saturday and Sunday, with rowers expected from Ballarat, Hamilton, Horsham, Essendon, Geelong and Wentworth.

Among Nestles’ representative squad of about 15, competitors range in age from 12 to over 60.

“It’s from school age – under 15s and under 17s – right through to masters,” Nestles rowing club secretary Maria Zerbe said. “There’ll be school clubs coming, and also other rowing clubs.

“We also have an adaptive race, which will be on Saturday. One of the ladies from here, Rose Egerton, will be rowing in that.”

Races will be run as singles, doubles or quads, with many teams entered for the weekend.

Zerbe said friendly intraclub rivalries would play a role in some junior races.

“There’s three boys competing in the under 17 singles, and three girls competing in the under 17 singles,” she said.  “There’s a lot of rivalry between those athletes, but it’s very friendly.”

The weekend regatta, which is Nestles’ major regatta for the summer, will see 175 athletes compete in 117 races across the two days.

Zerbe said, as a grassroots club, many of Nestles’ representatives were beginners, but there were some more experienced campaigners who were looking to recreate past success at the venue.

She thanked Hamilton Rowing Club for its support running the event, which is one of the first on the regatta season calendar.

“Both Hamilton and Nestles, we are small grassroots clubs and we really rely on the support of other clubs travelling to our regatta,” she said.