SEATTLE – The Windermere Cup returns to the Montlake Cut for the 33rd year next Saturday, May 4, with races starting at 10:16 a.m. PT. The annual spring rowing event is held in conjunction with the Seattle Yacht Club's Opening Day parade, which marks the beginning of boating season in Seattle.
 
Men's and women's crews from Germany will travel to Seattle to face Washington, as well as the Boston University men and the UCLA women. The two Windermere Cup races are the featured events in a long regatta schedule that includes other collegiate races, as well as juniors' and masters' events.
 
"We hope everyone will join us on May 4 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 German teams will be making their first-ever appearance at Windermere Cup, which has previously hosted national teams from more than 15 nations in its 33-year history. BU will be making its second appearance in the regatta, having rowed in the 1993 event, while the UCLA women will also be making a second trip to Opening Day, having last appeared in the Windermere Cup in 2004.
 
As a nation, Germany currently sits among the world powers in rowing. The men's team holds the world best time in the men's eight (5:18.680, set at a 2017 World Cup event) and won the 2017 and 2018 World Championships in that event, having taken the silver at the 2016 Olympic Games. The German men have also finished in the top five in the men's eight at the last three Under-23 World Championships. Last summer, a U.S. eight that included six Huskies (four of whom are on the 2019 roster) won the U-23 men's eight gold medal, with Germany finishing fourth in the A final.
 
Germany's women have established one of the top sculling programs in the world. Additionally, German entries have rowed in the A final in the eight at the last three Under-23 World Championships, and won the women's quadruple sculls at the 2018 World Championships, having won silver in that event at the 2016 Olympics.
 
Washington's men's and women's rosters each include three Germans. Klara Grube, Calina Schanze and Tabea Schendekehl have all rowed for their country at the junior and/or under-23 level. Schanze and Schendekehl won bronze in the women's four at 2017 Under-23 Worlds, while Schendekehl also won a silver medal in the eight at 2016 Junior Worlds.
 
The 2019 UW men's roster includes Philipp Nonnast, Sebastian Ritter, Alexander Vollmer, Nils Vorberg and Max Schwartzkopff. Both Nonnast and Vollmer rowed for their country at the 2017 Under-23 World Championships, while Nonnast also competed at the 2015 Under-23 regatta. Vosberg and Schwartzkopff, both freshmen at UW, have rowed at the U-23 and Junior levels, respectively.
 
"Germany is without a doubt among those at the top of the international scene right now," said UW men's head coach Michael Callahan. "It's going to be a terrific challenge for our program and it should be a great race."
 
"Every year, Windermere Cup offers our team a chance to square off against great competition in the best setting in college rowing," UW women's head coach Yasmin Farooq added. "We're really looking forward to it."
 
Germany is sending crews of experienced, young rowers who are certain to provide a high level of competition to their collegiate competitors.
 
The German men's crew that will compete on Montlake Cut includes five individuals who have competed in World Championship regattas, while the other four have rowed at Under-23 World Championships. One member of the crew coming to Seattle – Maximilian Korge – rowed in the German men's coxless four at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
 
The women's team that will row vs. UW and UCLA includes seven individuals with World Under-23 Championships experience, including several who have competed in the U-23s on several occasions. The crew also includes two members with senior national team experience at the World Championships and World Cup levels. Members of the crew range in age from 19 to 30 years old.
 
Boston University is consistently among the nation's top-10 men's programs. Last year, the Terriers finished eighth in the Ten Eyck Trophy (overall points at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association championship regatta) standings, and finished 10th in the men's eight.
 
UCLA's women finished sixth at the Pac-12 Championships each of the last three seasons. The Bruins have participated in four of the last nine NCAA Championship regattas, with a top finish of eighth in the nation, in 2012.
 
The Husky men have won seven of the last 11 Intercollegiate Rowing Association varsity eight national titles, while also winning the Ten Eyck 11 of the last 12 years. Washington's women finished second at the 2018 NCAA Championships, winning the second varsity eight final, after having swept the 2017 NCAA regatta for the first time in the event's history.
 
RACE SCHEDULE
Here is the complete schedule of races, including masters and junior events
10:16 a.m. – Men's Masters 8+ (30+)
10:18 a.m. – Men's Masters 8+ (40+)
10:20 a.m. – Men's Masters 8+ (50+
10:22 a.m. – Men's Masters 8+ (60+)
10:24 a.m. – Women's Masters 8+ (30+)
10:26 a.m. – Women's Masters 8+ (40+)
10:28 a.m. – Women's Masters 8+ (50+)
10:30 a.m. – Women's Masters 8+ (60+)
10:32 a.m. – Men's Junior 4X+ George Corkey 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+ Eleanor McElvaine Cup
10:47 a.m. – Men's Junior 8+ Fred Honebein Cup
10:50 a.m. – Men's Open 4+
10:52 a.m. – Women's Collegiate Varsity 4+
10:54 a.m. – Women's Collegiate Open 8+
10:58 a.m. – Men's Collegiate Open 8+
11:01 a.m. – Women's Collegiate 3V8+
11:05 a.m. – Men's Collegiate Freshman 8+/3V8+
11:10 a.m. – Women's Cascade Cup (2V8+)
11:20 a.m. – Men's Cascade Cup (2V8+)
11:30 a.m. – Women's Windermere Cup (V8+)
11:45 a.m. – Men's Windermere Cup (V8+)
 
The most up-to-date information on lanes, entries, etc., can be found at RegattaCentral.com.
 
There are Windermere Cup-related events all week long leading up the May 4 races, including the Windermere Party on the Cut, Montlake Night Sprints, the annual Media Cup, and Kids Crew community event. More information below:
 
WINDERMERE PARTY AT THE CUT: Boats, Brats, Beers, and Bands
In honor of the German National Crews visiting Seattle to race in the Cup races, we'll be celebrating German-style. So break out your lederhosen and dirndls and come on out to the party! This year's pre-race Party on the Cut will take place Friday, May 3rd, from 6 PM to 10 PM. Join us on the northeast shore of the Montlake Cut for an evening of live music, lawn games, and food and drinks. Advance tickets are just $20, or $30 at the door. This year features live performances by Nite Wave and Brian DiJulio & the Love Jacks. This event is 21+ and tickets can be found through Brown Paper Tickets. Proceeds from the Party on the Cut will establish rowing scholarships for low-income youth, through the Windermere Foundation.
 
MONTLAKE NIGHT SPRINTS
For the first time, UW Rowing will host "Montlake Night 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. Races are scheduled for 8:17 and 8:25 p.m., which is during a scheduled break between bands at the party.
 
MEDIA CUP
Tuesday, April 30, 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 KOMO team has taken home the Media Cup trophy seven straight years. The winning team receives a $500 donation from Windermere Real Estate to go to their non-profit organization of choice.
 
KIDS CREW
Every year, Windermere invites school children to visit the University of Washington for the Windermere Cup Kids Crew event. This year, fourth graders from Kenmore Elementary School will spend the day with Husky rowers and visiting athletes on May 3 to tour the UW campus and learn about rowing, fitness, and nutrition. This event gives these kids the unique opportunity to see firsthand the benefits of attending a four year university and participating in school sports. 
 
WHERE TO WATCH THE RACE
Saturday's races begin at 10:16 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 the Windermere Cup Website.
 
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 33 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. (http://windermerecup.withwre.com/).
 
ABOUT WASHINGTON ROWING
Rowing at University of Washington was established in 1901 with support from the local business community. In 1903, Washington entered its first intercollegiate race and defeated California, starting their storied "Cal Dual" rivalry. From this beginning, UW crews became the champions in the nation, winning the Gold Medal in the Olympics in 1936 as described in the New York Times bestseller The Boys in the Boat. UW has continued its tradition of winning championships and Olympic medals, and today is one of the best university rowing programs in the world. With its state-of-the-art training facility located on the UW campus right on the shores of Lake Washington, surrounded by mountains and in close proximity to the iconic Montlake Cut, Washington Rowing attracts the best men and women student-athletes from the Pacific Northwest and around the world. More information at GoHuskies.com, WashingtonRowing.com and @UW_Rowing.