About Us
ABOUT SYKES
We build boats. Start to finish. Beginners to champions.
Sykes Rowing is Australia's leading rowing boat manufacturer. We've been building boats in Geelong, Victoria since 1966, and over that time we've earned a reputation for quality, design, durability and uncompromising commitment to performance. Whether rowers are new to the sport or world champions, we have a boat to suit them.
We're proud of our Australian heritage and fiercely protective of our reputation. Our hulls are designed and built in our Geelong facility, fitted out with proven Sykes OEM components, and customised to your spec. Whether the hull is locally made or imported, every boat leaves with the same top-tier components.
What we stand for
Reliable & reputable
We value our reputation and our customers count on us to deliver. Our boats and our service are built to last.
Innovative & pragmatic
From wood to honeycomb composites to large-format additive manufacturing, we evolve with the industry while keeping what works.
Helpful & knowledgeable
Quality boats with functional fittings, supported by people who know rowing, long-term partnerships, not transactions.
Built for everyone
Boats for clubs, colleges, schools and elite athletes alike. We build boats to meet the needs of every customer.
Our story
Sykes was founded in 1966 by Jeff Sykes, a then-23-year-old apprentice boatbuilder who'd just won the Australian Sculling Championship in a 12.5 kg cedar single scull he'd designed and built himself. From that first revolutionary boat, Sykes has grown into the largest rowing boat manufacturer in Australia, with hulls competing at every level from learn-to-row through to the Olympic Games.
In 2003, Jeff sold the company to Jeff Lawrence. In 2009 the company moved to its purpose-built Breakwater facility on Tucker Street, where boats are still designed, moulded, fitted and finished today. Major milestones since include the acquisition of Resolute Rowing in the USA (2019), selection as Rowing Australia's exclusive small-boat training fleet supplier for the 2028 Los Angeles and 2032 Brisbane Olympic cycles (2024), the Empacher distribution partnership (2025), and the Quickstep acquisition (2025) which brings large-format additive manufacturing into the Sykes capability.
Visit us
Our factory is at 67 Tucker Street, Breakwater Victoria 3219, on the Barwon River in Geelong, on one of Australia's best stretches of water for rowing. Drop in to see the boats, talk to the team, or just have a look at where it all happens.
Phone: 03 5221 3655 · Email: sales@sykes.com.au
Want to know more about our boats?
Take a look at our current range, or get in touch and we'll help you find the right boat for your crew.
Australian designed and made · Built tough for Australian conditions