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May 6, 2012
Seattle, WA
University of Virginia Men’s Rowing completed an historic trip today. The Hoos were invited by the University of Washington Huskies and by the Windermere Real Estate Company to race in the 2012 Windermere Cup. The experience was once-in-a-lifetime special.
The Windermere Cup is rowing done right. Each spring, UW and Windermere invite crews from around the world to Seattle. Everyone is treated like royalty, the crowds are amazing, and the racing is unforgettable.
The first 1000 meters of the 2000 meter race course is lined on both sides by houseboats, sailboats, and assorted small boats–all filled with party-goers blasting their horns as the crews race by (and as the athletes struggle to hear their coxswains over the din). The second 1000 is like rowing into a stadium, with the seawalls lined with fans and with crowds cheering from the Montlake Bridge above.
In addition to the national-champion Washington Huskies, the Hoos also raced an Argentian U23 selection crew, as well as Oregon State University. The Huskies were, as expected, utterly dominant–essentially in a race by themselves. The UVa/Argentina/OSU race, however, was tight all the way down the course, with all three crews trading the lead. In the end, Argentina edged UVa by a bowball, and OSU trailed by about 3.5 seconds.
All of the crews had a great time on Saturday night before the visiting teams flew home on Sunday.
Virginia Rowing thanks the University of Washington Huskies and the Windermere Real Estate Company for inviting the Hoos to this spectacular event!