SEATTLE - Washington Rowing, along with Windermere Real Estate, welcomes the Australian men's and women's national teams to the 37th annual Windermere Cup, scheduled for Saturday, May 6, 2023.
 
Seattle's greatest annual, free sporting event features 23 races, culminating with the men's and women's Windermere Cup races, where the Huskies will take on Australia, which last attended the event in 1997, having also appeared in the second-ever Windermere Cup, in 1988.
 
The annual spring rowing event on the Montlake Cut is held in conjunction with the Seattle Yacht Club's Opening Day parade, which signals the beginning of boating season in Seattle. The entire event is a joint effort between Washington Rowing, the Seattle Yacht Club and Windermere Real Estate, with Windermere serving as the title sponsor of the main racing events.
 
"We hope everyone will join us on May 6 for Windermere Cup and Opening Day, which has grown into one of the largest free community events in Seattle," said OB Jacobi, President of Windermere Real Estate. "With thousands of competitors and spectators coming together at such a spectacular venue, it's a celebration unlike anything else."
 
The UW and Windermere Real Estate have hosted more than 15 nations over the 36-year history of the regatta.
 
Australia is consistently among the elite nations in terms of rowing success in recent years. The men won gold in the four in 2020 and silver in that same event in the previous three Olympiads. The men's eight is also a consistent entrant in the Olympic finals. The women also won gold in the four in Tokyo, while also earning a bronze medal in the quad.
 
The crews that will race in Seattle this week both feature experienced athletes, most of whom have competed at World Championships at the senior, under-23 and/or junior level.
 
Here is a schedule of races for the day, including masters, juniors and collegiate races:
 
10:15 a.m. – Men's Masters 8+ 40+
10:17 a.m. – Men's Masters 8+ 50+
10:19 a.m. – Men's Masters 8+ 60+
10:21 a.m. – Women's Masters 8+ 30+
10:23 a.m. – Women's Masters 8+ 40+ B
10:25 a.m. – Women's Masters 8+ 40+
10:27 a.m. – Women's Masters 8+ 50+
10:29 a.m. – Women's Masters 8+ 60+
10:32 a.m. – Men's Junior 4x+ George Corkley Jr. Cup
10:35 a.m. – Women's Junior 4x+ Dewitt Whitman Cup
10:38 a.m. – Women's Junior 4+ Colin Sykes Cup
10:41 a.m. – Men's Junior 4+ Sara Nevin Cup
10:44 a.m. – Women's Junior 8+ George Corkley Jr. Cup
10:47 a.m. – Men's Junior 8+ Colin Sykes Cup
10:50 a.m. – Men's Open 4+
10:53 a.m. – Women's Collegiate Varsity 4+
10:57 a.m. – Women's Collegiate Open 8+
11:01 a.m. – Men's Collegiate Freshman/Third Varsity 8+
11:05 a.m. – Women's Collegiate Third Varsity 8+
11:10 a.m. – Men's Cascade Cup (2V8+)
11:20 a.m. – Women's Cascade Cup (2V8+)
11:30 a.m. – Men's Windermere Cup (V8+)
11:45 a.m. – Women's Windermere Cup (V8+)
  
Last year, the visiting teams won both Windermere Cup events, with top-level crews from Great Britain (women0 and the Netherlands (men) earning victories in a pair of races that went down to the wire.
 
There are Windermere Cup-related events all week long leading up the May 6 races, including the Windermere Party on the Cut, Twilight Sprints, and the annual Media Cut. More information below:
 
WINDERMERE PARTY AT THE CUT: Boats, Bites, Brews, and Bands 
Kick off Windermere Cup weekend at the fourth annual Party on the Cut and enjoy Boats, Bites, Brews, and Bands!
Who: Open to the public, 21+
What: Enjoy live music, food trucks, drinks, games, and fun!
When: Friday, May 5th, 6:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Where: NE Corner of Montlake Cut, near the UW Waterfront Activity Center and ASUW Shellhouse
Tickets: $30 per person. 
  
TWILIGHT SPRINTS
For just the third time, UW Rowing will host "Twilight Sprints" the evening before the Windermere Cup/Opening Day Regatta. The boats that will race the following morning in the two Windermere Cup races will compete in a sprint from the traditional Montlake Cut finish line and travel approximately 600 meters from west to east down the course, finishing right in front of the old ASUW Shellhouse at the east end, where the annual "Party at the Cut" will be in full swing.
 
MEDIA CUP
On Tuesday, May 2, at 11:00 a.m. Seattle's local television will battle it out along the Montlake Cut for the seventh annual Windermere Cup - Media Cup crew races. The field consists of teams from KOMO TV, KING TV, KIRO TV and Q13 TV. The winning team receives a $500 donation from Windermere Real Estate to go to their non-profit organization of choice.
 
WHERE TO WATCH THE RACE
Saturday's races begin at 10:15 a.m. Paid parking is available at the University of Washington. Fans are invited and encouraged to watch the races, free of charge, along the Montlake Cut. For more information, maps, and parking visit http://windermerecup.withwre.com/directions-parking/
 
AWARDS CEREMONIES
Award ceremonies will take place following the conclusion of Windermere Cup races AT THE FINISH LINE (i.e., not at the Shellhouse) on the north side of the Cut, for the Windermere and Cascade Cups. The award ceremony for Masters, Collegiate, and Junior's races will take place on the same stage at 1:30 p.m. PT.
 
Results of the races are posted, in real time, at HereNow.com. You can also follow via Facebook, Instagram and on Twitter at @UW_Rowing and @WindermereCup.
  
WINDERMERE CUP HISTORY & INFORMATION
The Windermere Cup rowing regatta got its start 36 years ago when Windermere Real Estate founder, John Jacobi, joined up with the University of Washington to create the annual rowing event. They wanted to bring the best team in the world to Seattle's Montlake Cut, which at the time was the Soviet Union. After that, the precedent was set for what has become one of the world's premier rowing events, and certainly a staple of Seattle's rowing community. For more information, please visit WindermereCup.com.