The Lagoa's eight days in the centre of the rowing world were made of weather warnings, FISA explanations, and grand panoramas of rough water. At times it felt as if Christ the Redeemer was directing the wind from his perch high above what will now be the most famous rowing lake in the world, as helicopters splashed the view onto global TV.
Swampings and flips on the opening Saturday were followed by an entire day of cancelled racing, while forecasts were sought from the sailors' expert meteorologists. Racing caught itself up by Tuesday evening, only to be blasted by more wind on Wednesday, which should have been the first day of finals.