Rowing Australia have hailed their team's low-key world championship campaign a success after reaping three medals in Poznan, Poland.

Traditionally one of world rowing's strongest nations, Australia finished 11th on the medal tally with two silver and a bronze but didn't fall short of expectations.

With many senior rowers taking a year off after the Olympics, RA happily "kept their powder dry" and blooded 15 world championship debutants in their 31-strong senior A squad.

David Crawshay's men's quad scull crew produced the performance of the regatta for Australia with silver in the second day of finals late on Sunday night (AEST).

Crawshay, the only Beijing Olympic gold medallist to back up in 2009, combined with Dan Noonan, Jared Bidwell and Nick Hudson to finish behind favourite Poland and just ahead of the powerful Germans.

"We had a few rough strokes towards the end there but we are ecstatic with the medal," Crawshay said.

"The Germans are a really strong and we could see them coming at us but we had enough to hold them off."

The silver went along with the second placing to the highly-rated men's four crew who were again pipped by Olympic champions Great Britain.

Adaptive sculler Ben Houlison won bronze in an event Australia is targeting at the 2012 Paralympics. Team manager Ray Ebert was well pleased with the results, which included five finals appearances in the seven Olympic events contested.

Among the positives was a fourth place to Pippa Savage and Sally Kehoe in the double women's scull after a limited preparation.

"It's the first year or a four-year Olympic cycle and we only had 11 of 48 Olympians from Beijing compete," Ebert said.

"We're very pleased generally with the results.

"Certainly the silver medal for the quad sculls was a fantastic performance. The men's four came here to win a gold and won a silver to go along with their Olympic silver.

"They were a little disappointed but we're not.

"We kept our powder dry a bit this year so we're happy with our results for sure."

Ebert said Olympic champion Duncan Free had resumed training on the Gold Coast with a view to returning to competition in 2010 when the world championships will be held in New Zealand in late October.

Free's men's pair crewmate Drew Ginn, a three-time gold medallist, has yet to announce his return from back surgery but is cycling 500km a week.

Crawshay has also indicated double sculls partner Scott Brennan is keen to get back into their boat heading towards the 2012 London Games.

AAP