The highlight was the women's eight's heat win. Alongside the men, they provide a cornerstone to New Zealand's advancement beyond their small boat niche.
The crew of Rebecca Scown, Genevieve Behrent, Kerri Gowler, Grace Prendergast, Kelsey Bevan, Ruby Tew, Emma Dyke, Kayla Pratt and Francie Turner (cox) need to finish in the top five at the world championships to guarantee an Olympic berth.
The versatility of Prendergast and Gowler, who won their pairs heat, is noteworthy. The duo form part of a grand future for the country's elite oarsmen and women.
A successful business case to the Rowing New Zealand board means investment will be made in the eights until at least the 2020 Tokyo Games.
The decision was sold as a strategy to sustain a pathway for younger athletes rather than risking losing further talented generations from the sport after their school years.
Last year's under-23 world championships result was the clincher. The team topped the medal tally for the first time.
The logical starting point for the current legacy was the four world championship gold medals in 45 minutes at Gifu, Japan, in 2005.
Rob Waddell's single sculls gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics or Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindells' double sculls gold at Athens in 2004 could also make a case as catalysts.
Since the twins' feat, the national rowing squad have won 60 medals, including 30 gold, at the pinnacle event (world championship or Olympics) of any given year.
By comparison, between 1962 (the year of the first world championships) and the 2004 Olympics, New Zealand earned 39 medals, including 15 gold, albeit in an era when meat raffles and cake stalls may have helped drip-feed the fundraising.
In the modern era, the governing body could scarcely be better poised to deliver. They are the poster child of centralised programmes with a realistic chance to qualify each of the 14 classes at next year's Games.
The flipside to this watertight administrative skiff is that exceptions to accommodate athlete flexibility are rare.
Mahe Drysdale negotiated a post-Olympic sabbatical and Hamish Bond and Eric Murray waited until the third rather than second World Cup to launch this year's campaign.
Contrast that with Emma Twigg. The single sculls world champion's proposal to take study leave - to complete a Fifa masters course in the management, law and humanities of sport - was refused.
Her replacement, world champion double sculler Fiona Bourke, was charged with qualifying the boat for Rio. Bourke agreed to the request, despite preferring the status quo.
Rowing New Zealand have made an art out of minimising surprises and disruptions, but Bourke's 14th place (second in the C final) at Varese and her graft to get through a repechage into the semifinals at Lucerne has created an unexpected dilemma, especially with Twigg continuing to train hard in the same part of the world in sync with her course.
The governing body are likely to back Bourke's capacity to improve, but face a complicated procedure of qualifying through the Regatta of Death if she fails to qualify ninth or better at Aiguebelette.
