Windermere Cup Central
SEATTLE – The teams are set for this year's running of the 27th annual Windermere Cup, the spring rowing event on the Montlake Cut that signifies Opening Day for boaters in Seattle, and the Cornell University rowing program has been chosen to participate. The Big Red men's heavyweight and women's rowing team will compete against Ivy League foe Dartmouth and the host school Washington on Saturday, May 4 with races beginning at 10:00 a.m.
The event is held in conjunction with the Seattle Yacht Club and is sponsored by Seattle-based Windermere Real Estate, the largest regional real-estate company on the West Coast. Last year tens of thousands of fans lined the Cut and packed the Montlake Bridge, as the free event has become one of the largest sporting events in the area.
“Opening Day is not just a race, or regatta, it is an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime event,” says
Todd Kennett, the Spirit of '57 Director of Rowing/Head Coach of Heavyweight Rowing at Cornell. “The amount of effort to prepare the venue and the energy around the event is simply astounding. Not to mention that the level of competition is simply amazing. Cornell has long historical rowing ties with UW, and personally, I was lucky enough to participate in the Windermere Cup during my senior year at Cornell, so on every level I am motivated and excited to be part of this year's Opening Day Regatta. It is something a person can never forget. It is truly a privilege.”
The Windermere races began with the World Champion Soviet Union crews in 1987 as part of the community's effort to highlight the unique racing venue the Montlake Cut offers rowing.
Traditionally the event has featured one domestic crew and one international crew; however, this year Windermere has attracted two of the very best domestic crew programs in Dartmouth and Cornell. The two schools were scheduled for a dual race on Windermere weekend, but now both will be making their way to Seattle to compete against the Huskies.
“We want to encourage the very best teams to come race in the Pacific Northwest and Windermere's sponsorship has allowed us to do that,” said UW men's head coach Michael Callahan. “We're really excited to have two storied programs coming to race us.”
The 2013 Windermere edition continues the tradition of attracting premier rowing teams to Seattle for this special event. The Ivy League has a long and storied crew history, with the first races dating back to 1852. Cornell was one of the three Ivy League Schools that founded the Intercollegiate Rowing Association, the oldest collegiate athletic organizing body in the U.S.
“Over the years it's always been the goal of the Windermere Company and the University of Washington to get the best level of competition here for the Windermere Cup,” said rowing director and UW women's coach Bob Ernst. “It's been our quest the last few years to get good Ivy League competition to come out, so to have two of their best come on the same year is really going to make this event special.”
Another twist in format has the men and women competing against the same universities. Generally, the men and women face crews from different schools.
“It's unique this year having both programs come here to race,” said Callahan. “Hopefully we will be able to continue to do this.”
Cornell men's crew is coming off a strong 2012. They defeated Princeton and Yale in the same year for only the third time since 1974, while also finishing fifth overall in the Team Eyck Award race at the 2012 IRA National Championships.
The Big Red women's crew program is headed by Hilary Gehman, a six-time member of the U.S. national rowing team and two-time Olympian. Last year, Gehman was named CRCA Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year for leading Cornell to its best season in 20 years.
“Both the men's and women's programs at Dartmouth and Cornell have been competitive on the national level,” said Ernst. “It's first rate competition, so it's a big honor to have them come.”
The spring rowing event is not just for collegiate programs. Dozens of local, national and international junior and masters crews will compete in races prior to the main event.
About Windermere Real Estate and Windermere Cup
Windermere Real Estate is ranked the largest regional real estate company in the Western U.S. with over 300 offices and 7,000 agents serving communities in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Mexico.
Windermere's heritage of supporting collegiate crew racing began in 1987, when the company sponsored the first annual Windermere Cup regatta in Seattle. More than 800 athletes a year from around the world come to Seattle to participate in the Windermere Cup title races. Held in partnership with the University of Washington and the Seattle Yacht Club, the Windermere Cup has become one of the largest community events in Seattle, welcoming national and international crew teams for exciting competition while commencing the official opening day of boating season for the waters of the Puget Sound.
