UW To Take On British, Canadians, Northeastern In 40th Windermere Cup

SEATTLE – Washington Rowing, along with Windermere Real Estate, welcomes men's and women's crews from the Great Britain National Team, the women's Canadian National Team and the Northeastern University men's team for the 40th annual Windermere Cup, scheduled for Saturday, May 2, 2026.

The Windermere Cup races, the final two events of Seattle's annual Opening Day Regatta, will pit two UW women's crews against entries from the British and Canadian National Teams, while the Husky men's varsity eight will face the British and the Northeastern varsity eight.

The British men are making just their second appearance at Windermere Cup, one of the world's most prestigious one-day regattas. The GB men won the Cup in their one prior appearance, in 2014. Northeastern's only previous appearance in the event came in 2003, when the Huskies from Boston finished second to their Seattle hosts.

Conversely, the British women will be competing in the Windermere Cup for the fifth time, having won the race in 1998 and 2022, while finishing second to UW in 2014 and third behind Washington and Stanford in in 2002. Surprisingly enough, the Canadian National Team – men or women – have never previously raced in the Windermere Cup. A Canadian men's crew raced vs. the U.S. at Opening Day in 2003, and crews from Canadian universities have rowed in the Windermere Cup, but this will be the Canadian National Team's first appearance in either the men's or women's feature races.

"Windermere's connection to the Windermere Cup has always been rooted in our commitment to community and our belief in the power of sport to bring people together," said OB Jacobi, president of Windermere Real Estate. "As we celebrate the 40th Windermere Cup, we're proud of our longstanding partnership with the University of Washington and the Seattle Yacht Club, which together have shaped this into the largest free community event in Seattle and one of the most iconic venues in rowing."

Great Britain has been, of course, a powerhouse in international rowing for as long as the sport has existed. The British men and women have won a total of 78 Olympic medals in rowing, second only to the United States, including 34 all-time gold medals, tied with the U.S. for most ever. Most recently, at the 2024 Games, the Brits earned a total of eight medals, including gold in the men's eight and bronze in the women's. Both of those crews included Washington alumni.

Canada boasts 44 all-time rowing medals in the Olympics and has emerged as a power in the women's eight recently, having won the gold medal in 2020 and the silver in 2024. That 2024 crew included current Washington men's team assistant coach Kristina Walker.

The Northeastern men's team is coached by Alex Perkins '15, the stroke rower in UW's 2013 and 2015 IRA National Champion crews. He also won a gold medal in the freshman eight in 2012. Northeastern has won the national championship twice in its history, in 1988 and 1991.

"We're excited to celebrate the 40th annual Windermere Cup with such an outstanding international field," said UW women's head coach Yasmin Farooq. "Our connections with Great Britain and Canada run deep, so welcoming them to the Cut is truly special. Having Great Britain back is always a privilege—they bring a level of professionalism, speed, and racing experience that elevates everyone on the course. And with the Canadian women making their first appearance, it's especially meaningful. Being just across the border, they've helped us prepare for some big college races over the years. Now, after all that shared training, it's great to finally have them experience the full Windermere atmosphere."

"We're thrilled to welcome the rowing world back to Seattle for the 40th annual Windermere Cup," said UW men's head coach Michael Callahan. "This event has always been about celebrating the highest level of our sport while bringing our community together on Montlake Cut, and this year's field absolutely delivers. Racing against the Great Britain National Team is a tremendous honor—they set the global standard with their depth, precision, and championship culture. We also have enormous respect for Northeastern; they've built one of the most competitive collegiate programs in the country, and their speed and toughness will make for fantastic racing. Our guys are excited for the challenge, proud to represent Washington, and ready to put on a show for the fans who make this regatta so special."

Washington's current women's team roster includes nine rowers from Great Britain – Niamh Comerford, Emily Downing, Katie Gardner, Violet Holbrow Brooksbank, Emily Myers, Chloe Sheppard, Anne Thevenon, Jess Weir and Amelia Westbrook– as well as three Canadians – Grace Sisett, Cait Whittard, and Mira Calder, the daughter of UW alum Dave Calder '01, an Olympic silver medalist for Canada.

The current Husky men's team boasts eight Brits: Jerry Anderson, Victor Bocquet, Sam Ford, Nikita Jacobs, Rory McDonnell, Byron Richards, Cameron Tasker, and Monte Wood.

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.

On the Friday night before the Opening Day Regatta, the women's 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.

Last year, the Washington men, who held off the New Zealand National Team to win the Windermere Cup, won the 21^st national championship in program history.

The Washington women, who also beat the Kiwis in the Windermere Cup, finished fourth at NCAA Championships last season, the program's ninth consecutive top-five finish at the national championships.

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 39 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 29 times in 38 attempts, while the UW women have won 28 out of 38.

This year's event marks the 55th running of the Opening Day regatta, which has included the Windermere Cup for the last 39 years. The 2026 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.

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