Drew Ginn's hopes of winning another Olympic gold medal in the boat that kickstarted the Victorian's brilliant rowing career will become a lot clearer over coming weeks in Europe, says crewmate James Chapman.

Along with nine other Olympic-qualified crews, Australia's coxless four departed Sydney on Tuesday bound for Switzerland, where they'll compete in a World Cup regatta in Lucerne before heading to Munich for another battle with their London Games rivals.

Ginn boasts a 100 per cent winning strike rate at the three Olympics he has competed at, winning gold as a 21-year-old in 1996 as part of the 'Oarsome Foursome' in Atlanta before combining with James Tomkins in 2004 and then Duncan Free in 2008 to bag gold in the pair.

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NSW oarsman Chapman says although the crew have gelled well in training camps at Murwillumbah on NSW's far north coast and Melbourne, the crew's true test will come under race pressure when they line up against the cream of the crop in the two European events that precede the London Olympics.

"We've trained really well. The crew came together pretty quickly in terms of power and chemistry, so to be able to soon line that up in a competitive setting is exciting," said Chapman.

He added Great Britain were the stand-out crew to beat having won gold at the past three Olympics since Ginn's Atlanta success and taking the world championships in Slovenia last year.

"Given we're over the other side of the world with different winds, water temperatures and other conditions, then you really can't be 100 per cent confident of how comparable you are until you actually line up against your rivals, look across and see the whites of their eyes and then, hopefully, the backs of their heads when you race."

Chapman, who will also be joined in the crew by young Victorians Josh Dunkley-Smith and Will Lockwood, has been buzzing ever since his selection in the four as it was Australia's triumph in Atlanta that steered him towards an elite rowing career.

"I vividly remember watching that race in my second-last year of school," said Chapman.

"It was just as I was going for selection in the first eight, and I said to my sister then that I'm going to do that one day.

"To me, it was the coolest thing ever - to see Australians beating the rest of the world, then the guys standing on the podium with the flag being raised and the anthem sung."

Will Knight
AAP