SEATTLE – Washington Rowing, along with Windermere Real Estate, welcomes men's and women's crews from the New Zealand National Team and the Indiana University for the 39th annual Windermere Cup, scheduled for Saturday, May 3, 2025.
 
New Zealand will be sending men's and women's crews to compete in the Windermere Cup races, while Indiana's women's program will compete in the women's Windermere and Cascade (second varsity eights) Cups.
 
The Kiwis will be racing in the men's Windermere Cup for the fourth time, while the women will be making their third appearance in the event. Most recently, the New Zealand men won the Cup in 2015. Eight of the nine members of that Kiwi crew ended up competing in the 2020 and/or 2024 Olympics, with four of them earning medals.
 
The New Zealand men also finished second in the 1999 Windermere Cup, and were third, behind first-place Italy and runner-up Washington, in 1989, the third year of the regatta.
 
The Kiwi women also traveled to Montlake Cut for the 1999 and 1989 Windermere Cups, finishing third in 1999 and winning the 1989 race, over UW and California.
 
"All of us at Windermere are extremely proud to have partnered with the University of Washington and the Seattle Yacht Club for the past 39 years on this premier rowing event," said OB Jacobi, president of Windermere Real Estate. "We invite everyone to come down to the Montlake Cut to watch the races and enjoy what has grown into one of the largest free community events in Seattle."
 
New Zealand rowing has a long tradition of international success dating back more than a century, but in recent years, the Kiwis have emerged as one of the top nations in the world in both men's and women's rowing.
 
At the 2024 Olympic Games, New Zealand crews won four medals, including a silver in the men's four, with current Husky junior Logan Ullrich manning the two seat. New Zealand also won the bronze in the women's four in 2024, with UW alumna Phoebe Spoors in that crew.
 
At the 2020 Olympics, New Zealand totaled five medals in rowing, more than any other nation, including gold in the men's eight, women's single and women's pair.
 
The Indiana women's rowing program was founded in 1999-2000, the fourth year that the NCAA sponsored women's rowing, and has grown into a strong program. The Hoosiers have earned berths to the NCAA Championships in eight of the last 10 seasons, finishing 15^th in the nation last spring. They're also a member of the UW women's team's new conference, the Big Ten.
 
"We've been looking forward to having New Zealand back at Opening Day for a very long time, and we're excited to welcome fellow Big Ten team Indiana," UW women's head coach Yasmin Farooq said. "This has the potential to be an epic race for all three teams. That's what the Windermere Cup is all about and definitely what fans have come to expect."
 
"We're looking forward to racing against one of the strongest and most esteemed rowing nations on the Montlake Cut," said UW men's head coach Michael Callahan. "We have a number of Kiwis on the team, and I hope 2024 New Zealand Olympic Silver Medalist Logan Ullrich can put his conflicting emotions aside for the Huskies."
 
Washington's current women's roster includes four athletes from New Zealand: Olivia Hay, Zola Kemp, Shakira Mirfin and Madeleine Parker. Kiwi Three -time All-American and 2019 Pac-12 Women's Rower of the Year Ella Cossill is a New Zealand native, as are Spoors and her sister Grace Spoors (both varsity rowers), as well as Kirstyn Goodger, a two-time Olympian.
 
The Husky men's roster boasts seven Kiwis: Harry Fitzpatrick, Kieran Joyce, Marley King Smith, Oliver Leach, Will Milne, Ben Shortt, and Ullrich.
 
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.
 
Additionally, Windermere, UW and the SYC will host a number of events over the course of the week to provide a full week of activity for the Husky rowers and visiting athletes alike.
 
"Windermere always makes our international teams feel at home in Seattle," Callahan added.
 
On the Friday night before the Opening Day Regatta, all of the Windermere Cup crews will race in the annual Twilight Sprints, a race from the traditional Montlake Cut finish line to the eastern end of the Montlake Cut.
 
"We'll all be lucky to get a preview in the Twilight Sprints during the Party on the Cut on Friday night," Farooq noted. "Thanks to Seattle Yacht Club and Windermere for adding this very special event, which gives all sports fans an opportunity to see 'the fastest two minutes in rowing' from the walls of the Montlake Cut, only a few feet away from the action."
 
In 2024, the Washington women finished fifth at NCAA Championships, the program's eighth consecutive top-five finish at the national championships. In 2025, they'll compete as part of the Big Ten Conference for the first time.
 
"As always, the Windemere Cup will serve as the best preparation we can get for the conference championships," Farooq said. "This year will be our first Big Ten Championship. With 11 teams competing, the championship will expand to a fierce, two-day event. I can't think of a better sendoff than the one we'll get from Husky Nation right here in RowTown USA."
 
Last year, the Washington men won the 20^th national championship in program history, sweeping all four heavyweight finals at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association regatta. With UW's change in conference affiliations, the Husky men will now compete the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, which includes old Pac-12 foes Cal, Stanford and Oregon State, along with several other west-coast programs.
 
There will be more information to come on other Opening Day and Windermere Cup-related events, including the annual "Party at the Cut" on Friday night.
 
Windermere Cup History & Information
The Windermere Cup got its start 38 years ago, in 1987, 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. That occasion marked one of the few athletic competitions for the Soviets inside the U.S. in 25 years, since relations were strained during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. The Soviet Union brought both its men's and women's crews and won both races in convincing fashion. 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.
 
Washington's men have won the Windermere Cup 28 times in 37 attempts, while the UW women have won 27 out of 37.
 
This year's event marks the 54th running of the Opening Day regatta, which has included the Windermere Cup for the last 38 years. The 2025 event will include a number of events during the week leading up to race day. The Seattle Yacht Club's Opening Day parade through the Montlake Cut will immediately follow the racing. Further details will be announced at a later date. For more information visit www.windermerecup.com.