Sims said this year’s senior girls’ firsts are as determined as any to deliver the College’s maiden Head of the Lake victory since first competing in 2007.

Loreto’s previous best performance was in 2015 where it finished second while last year saw it slip outside the top three.

Enforcing the new culture has been a new-look firsts line-up, with none of last year’s rowers representing the girls’ firsts in 2017.

Sims said there had been a focus on improving the girls’ fitness, as is the case with all schools, but the main development had been witnessed in the program’s culture.

“We’ve really changed our training culture. The girls are a lot more focused and more determined, so that’s been the focus – changing the culture,” Sims said.

“Our overall fitness in general, we’ve looked to improve that.”

Sims was pleased with the girls preparation for Lake Wendouree’s Head of the Lake on February 26.

It has all been about the plan outlined by Sims and the fellow support crew. While Sims was not giving too much away on what the “plan” entailed, the girls had ticked all the boxes in his opinion.

“We sat down at the start of the season and set out a plan and we’ve stuck to that right through – it’s just a matter of process.

“We’ve had the plan in place and we’ve just stuck to it and we’ve kept ticking the boxes.

“It’s been a solid preparation...we hope to be (up among the top schools)

“It’s one race and like everyone else says, anything can happen on the day.

Support coordinator Gabi Howard echoed Sims’ positive thoughts.

“I really couldn’t imagine working with a better group of students,” Howard said.

“The atmosphere around the club in our tenth official season has been so positive and unified and that is a real credit to the girls.”

Loreto College will race from lane five and after some strong lead-up regattas will be hoping to cap its 10-year milestone with victory.