At the final World Cup over the weekend the pair of Bond and Eric Murray equalled the world record of 15 consecutive international regatta wins held by Belarussian single sculler Ekaterina Karsten. It's a figure they could own alone if they triumph at the world championships in South Korea next month.
The men's double of Robbie Manson and Michael Arms originally created selection debate, given they replaced Olympic gold medallists Nathan Cohen and Joseph Sullivan.
Such discussions diminished as their record flourished. Of their three World Cup wins, Sunday's effort on the Rotsee was the most emphatic, against all the world's premier crews.
Bond credits the new coaching regimen with maintaining the success of both boats. He says he and Murray needed freshening after a punishing road to Olympic gold under coach Dick Tonks. The pair have also formed a solid gauge for the double to match themselves.
"It forms a healthy rivalry," Bond says. "They're not after our seats and we're not after theirs. We're just there to work off each other because having someone next to you in training means you push harder. It's mutually beneficial."
Bond says their new coach Noel Donaldson and men's sculling head coach Calvin Ferguson have collaborated well.
"Since arriving from Australia, Noel's made an effort to work in with the other coaches. He knows we like to train with other crews so we go out of our way to work in with other people's programmes. Ferg has done likewise."
Bond paid tribute to Tonks' relentless nature to get the best out of the pair but says they needed a change and Donaldson has provided it.
"Both are successful [Donaldson coached Australia's Oarsome Foursome to consecutive Olympic titles and Tonks' efforts as the architect of the New Zealand programme are well-documented] but they have different mentalities on the coach's role.
''We were largely self-sufficient in certain areas under Dick where we would just go out and do the required mileage. Under Noel we've been prepared to give some of those roles back which has been refreshing more than anything.
"The training we did with Dick has made us the athletes we are today; there's no two ways about that. But we were ready for a fresh approach. It would have been hard to carry on in that fashion for another four years. Noel's arrival has effectively drawn a line under that.
"The experience under Dick made our training easier. We know the sorts of times needed to sustain our success. We're not doing anything drastically different; just a few less rowing kilometres which we're picking up in other areas. There's more cycling and work on the rowing machines - just variations really."
- Andrew Alderson of the Herald on Sunday in Lucerne
