Australia's rowing crews have maintained their momentum with an impressive display on the opening day of the World Cup regatta in Switzerland.

Australia enjoyed a strong start to the World Cup 2 regatta in Switzerland on Friday when five crews powered to heat wins.

The three-day meet is an ideal chance for combinations to test themselves in European conditions against most of their Olympic rivals just two months out from the start of the London Games.

Just days after three more Australian crews qualified boats for London, including an emotional win by the unfancied women's eight, 14 crews lined up for their heats on the Rotsee - a natural rowing lake - in Lucerne.

The men's four, lightweight men's four, women's single scull, men's double scull and men's pair all won their respective heats.

Reigning Olympic champions David Crawshay and Scott Brennan set the quickest time - 6min 18.11sec - in the men's double scull to comfortably progress to Saturday's semi-finals.

Just as impressive were the new men's four combination of Drew Ginn, Josh Dunkley-Smith, James Chapman and Will Lockwood, who cruised to victory in the second heat to advance directly to Sunday's final.

Their biggest challenge will come from defending world and Olympic champions Great Britain, who set a new world-best time of 5:37.86 in the first heat, almost seven seconds quicker than Australia's effort.

Single sculler Kim Crow led from start to finish to win in a time of 7:27.09 and earn herself a middle lane for the semi-final, while world champions Sam Beltz, Ben Cureton, Todd Skipworth and Anthony Edwards also easily won their heat of the lightweight men's four.

Brodie Buckland and James Marburg gained the upper hand in the battle for an Olympic berth as they charged home to win their heat.

With a decision still to be made on who will row the men's pair in London, Buckland and Marburg continued their good form together to record a time of 6:33.54.

Fergus Pragnell and Beijing Olympic gold medallist Duncan Free, who is returning from a rib injury, could only manage a time of 6:58.17 in finishing fourth in heat two.

Australian team captain Sarah Tait joined Kate Hornsey in the women's pair to finish second in their heat behind the United States and also earn themselves a row in the semi-finals.

The men's eight (second in heat), women's eight (third), lightweight women's double scull (fourth), men's quad scull (third), women's quad scull (fifth) and lightweight men's pair (third) will all race repechages for a chance to progress to the next stage of racing in their respective events.