KEY POINTS:
The biggest smiles round the Rotsee course in Lucerne on Sunday were worn by New Zealanders.
Although the overall standings for the three World Cup regattas were headed by Britain with 161 points, New Zealand did not contest the first event in Linz.
So, their 78 points and
fifth place finish from results achieved at only the Amsterdam and Lucerne events represented a strong showing as they lead up to next month's world championships in Munich. Their four golds were two more than Britain and four more than Germany and France, who finished above New Zealand. The Chinese, who finished third, did not contest Lucerne.
Only Britain, with 59 points, bettered New Zealand's points haul in Lucerne, by dint of picking up points across 12 events.
The bottom line is it's still preparation time for the world champs but there were heartening signs from anticipated areas of strength.
Single sculler Mahe Drysdale turned on the power to win one of New Zealand's four gold medals, after being off the pace at Amsterdam and missing a podium finish.
Double scullers Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell and coxless pair Juliette Haigh and Nicky Coles were impressive in winning their A finals, having both been second to Chinese crews at Amsterdam. Lightweight sculler Duncan Grant won his second straight cup title in his non-Olympic discipline.
All four crews won world championship medals last year at Eton and the omens are good for another strong showing in Munich.
There were silvers to coxless pair Nathan Twaddle and George Bridgewater, and Storm Uru, who trailed Grant home for New Zealand's second 1-2 finish in as many cup finals, and the bronze won by the coxless four - after their gold at Amsterdam.
Throw in a highly encouraging fourth to Nathan Cohen and Matthew Trott in the men's double scull and there's plenty to be content about, notably in the sculling department.
Not that New Zealand rowing folk do content.
For starters, the two women's crews won in fields missing the powerful Chinese, who have emerged as one of the most talked-about rowing nations this year. They are clearly making waves in their plans to do their country proud at the Olympic regatta in Beijing next year.
Then there's the two eights crews whom Rowing New Zealand have resolved to be a key part of the mix when they host the world champs at Lake Karapiro in 2010.
The women were fifth in their final; the men fourth in the B final.
The men are the newest of New Zealand's combinations so had plenty of ground to make up in a short space of time on the European tour.
"Both boats have picked up some speed since Amsterdam and that's all we can keep asking," RNZ high performance manager Andrew Matheson said, professing himself happy with their progress.
Munich doubles as the season's Olympic qualifying regatta. The men's eight must finish in the top seven to qualify; the women must get in the top five.
Any crews who miss out at Munich have a last chance, at Lucerne next year, providing RNZ reckon it's worth sending them to try again.
Matheson believed there had been a general improvement in the New Zealand squad's performances between Amsterdam and last weekend. "There's still some sharpening up to do and we've got five weeks to get that under our belt before Munich."
Half the team will return to their Belgium base at Hazewinkel while the rest will do their build-up for the world champs in Germany, which start on August 26.
