Whether dressed as super heroes, battle-hardened warriors, or laid-back Mexicans, each school had one goal in common - to stand out from the rest.

The 'Patty's Platoon' was the first on the spit, and lay down the gauntlet with its ferocious brand of encouragement.

In shredded shirts emblazoned with the shamrock, and chanting 'mighty, mighty St Pat's', any lesser school may have quailed under the leading year-12 group's ferocious gaze.

Its neighbour, Ballarat High School, however, refused to be intimidated.

Led into the supporters' area by Year12's Amber Ives on the bagpipes, the sight and sound of the 'Soldiers in Duty' was enough to get the adrenalin pumping.

"It was awesome," said Ives.

"We drowned out all the other schools."

Ballarat and Clarendon College was next on the bank.

Decked out as superheroes, that was the performance students were hoping their rowers would produce.

Year 12 'Spit Crew' member Sam Jenner said weeks of preparation had gone into co-ordinating BCC's lively get-up.

"We've always been traditionally more colourful than the other schools," said Amy Twincin.

Fashionably late was Ballarat Grammar School.

But when the students, who were held up for 15 minutes during the trip, finally arrived, they announced it with a bang.

Under the broad brim of a Mexican sombrero, school captain Sam Valentine got straight on the megaphone, drumming up a war cry to get the day rolling.

"We wanted to be loud, and we wanted the other schools facing us," he said.

Valentine, who rowed at Nagambie last year in the fifths, said the venue offered spectators the chance for greater involvement than Lake Wendouree.

"The spit is bigger, and you could fit more people on," he said.

"It's really good for the crews to hear us coming down to the finish line."

Meanwhile, hundreds of parents watched as their children reached the culmination point of months in training.