Gillian Lindsay believes there is a silver lining to the British women's failure to win their heat in the quadruple sculls and grab an automatic place in the final.

The team were one of four British rowing teams competing on Monday who could have advanced to the championship race with a victory.

Finishing behind the leaders has thrust each into a repechage on Wednesday at the Sydney International Regatta Centre at Penrith Lakes.

"I think it's good that we have to do the repechage," Lindsay said. It gives us another race.

"I think it would be bad to have to sit around for another week. We're all pretty keen to do the rep anyway, then we'll have a break and we'll be fresh and ready for the final."

The quartet of Lindsay, Guin Batten, Katherine Grainger and Miriam Batten finished second in six minutes 35.09 seconds, with winners Russia more than three seconds faster.

Third place went to the USA four. The first three go into the semi-finals.

"It's going to be really close and everybody realises that it's wide open for a medal," Lindsay added.

"We have to really focus in this week and keep believing in ourselves."

Britain's men's eight finished second to Australia in their heat.

The British, who had defeated the Aussies in their two most recent encounters, including in the July World Cup event at Lucerne, now must go into the repechage to try and qualify for Sunday's final.

Australia (5:32.85) have almost a week to recharge their batteries along with surprise Heat 1 victors Croatia.

"The men's eight let themselves be caught out in the first half by Australia but they have the ability to come back strongly in the repechage and qualify for the final in a very tight event," said team manager David Tanner.

Brits Andrew Lindsay, Ben Hunter-Davis, Simon Dennis, Louis Attrill, Luka Grubor, Kieran West, Fred Scarlett, Steve Trapmore, and Rowley Douglas finished the 2000 metres race in five minutes 34.47 seconds.

Canada (5:38.48), Russia (5:40.55), and Heat 1 losers the United States (5:35.70), Holland (5:36.42), Romania (5:36.93) and Italy (5:36.69) also go into the repechage.

The new men's lightweight double scull crew of Tom Middleton and Tom Kay finished fourth as World Cup runners up Pascal Touron and Thibaud Chapelle of France won in 6:32.73.

Middleton and Kay, who now go into the repechage, got a good start and were second at the 500m mark.

Unable to sustain the pace, they eventually fell behind Spain at the halfway point and were then passed by the Dutch double before finishing fourth in 6:41.74.

"We didn't quite find the race rhythm that we've been getting in training in the middle 1000m but, with the hindsight of this race, we'll be able to do that on Wednesday," Middleton said.

And the British women's eight of Alison Sanders, Rowan Carroll, Elise Laverick, Francesca Zino, Alison Trickey, Alexandra Beever, Kate MacKenzie, Lisa Eyre and Charlotte Miller finished fourth in their heat in 6:19.49.

Winners Romania (6:06.66) move onto the final while Australia and Belarus join the Brits in the repechage.