Saturday Montlake Bridge Closed For Opening Boating Day

Opening Day of Boating Season Parade is on Saturday and the Montlake Bridge will be closed to vehicles from 10-4pm.  And from noon to 4pm, pedestrian access across the bridge will be restricted because the bridge will be up at this point.

The following ramps and turn lanes will also close:

westbound SR 520 off-ramp to Montlake Boulevard

left turn lane of the eastbound SR 520 off-ramp to Montlake Boulevard

The 33rd annual Windermere Cup races start at 10:16am at the Montlake Cut with the Huskies men and women's teams.

The Montlake Community Club newsletter said:

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. Boston University 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 Schendekehlhave 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.

For more information go here and for the race schedule here.