Women's eight rowers ready for Beijing

Four years after the Athens debacle, the Australian women's rowing eight looms as a genuine Olympic gold medal contender after starting their Beijing Games campaign in style.

Australia has never won an Olympic medal in the women's eight in three previous campaigns but there were great signs in their emphatic victory in the opening World Cup regatta in Munich overnight (AEST).

Battling into a tough head-wind, the Australians clocked six minutes 36.29 seconds to win by two boat lengths, a massive six seconds, from China with Romania four seconds further back.

The big win was made sweeter by the men's eight - led by veteran James Tomkins - taking gold on the day, the first time Australia has triumphed with both boats in the same major international event.

The women's crew contained only one member - Sarah Tait - of the ill-fated 2004 boat which finished last in the final at the Athens Games when Sally Robbins collapsed and stopped rowing 500m from the line.

Australian head coach Noel Donaldson said recent world championship form suggested a drought-breaking performance in Beijing.

"We won in 2005, came third in 2006 and last year we were fourth but you could have thrown a blanket over one to four," Donaldson told AAP.

"We've actually been very competitive at the top end of the field going into this Olympiad.

"This weekend was pretty emphatic - it was long and strong."

The world champion American crew was the only major rival missing from the opening World Cup regatta but Australia had to overcome the loss of injured duo Brooke Pratley and Pauline Frasca, who were replaced by Nat Bale and Robyn Selby Smith.

In calmer conditions than the first gusty three days of the regatta, China led by just under a second at the halfway mark before Australia lifted their rate over the last 750 metres.

Crew captain Tait said they changed their race plan after a tricky start.

"We got caught in a bit of dirty water at the start of the race which put us further back than we wanted," Tait said.

The men's eight led from start to finish to clock 6:05.38 and win by just under a second from Great Britain and China.

"It is great to win the gold but it is only the first step so we won't get too carried away with this one," said stroke Steve Stewart.

A bronze went with the two gold medals in a pleasing international season start for Australia with David Crawshay and Scott Brennan placing third in the men's double scull.

Crawshay and Brennan finished two and a half boat lengths behind Great Britain and Germany in a time of 6:59.94.

Australia's rowers will now enter a two-week training camp in northern Italy heading into World Cup 2 in Switzerland, starting May 30.