Windermere success for New Zealand on US waters

“Even though we lost, we saw some significant improvement this week,” University of Washington (UW) head coach Michael Callahan said. “Our base rhythm really improved and our guys really raced hard. Of course we wanted to win, but New Zealand also served as a barometer for where we are and how much we’ve improved. We came off the water feeling good about our performance against one the world’s best.”

The New Zealand men’s eight won last year’s World Rowing Under 23 Championships and the young squad was named to New Zealand’s traveling team. They will be competing at World Rowing Cup II in Varese, Italy in June and then stay on in Europe for the international season.

The UW crew managed to keep pace with the under-23 champions off the start. New Zealand tried to pull ahead at the 1000 metres, but UW was quick to react. New Zealand was unable to shake off the spirited UW crew who managed to keep up, finishing just two seconds behind.

In the women’s eight, the UW crew proved they have what it takes. Ranked as number four university crew in the United States, Washington beat the number three ranked crew from the University of Virginia.

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“This young team just keeps growing and getting better throughout the season,” said UW head coach Bob Ernst. “With a team as young as ours, we need indicators to show these athletes that they are really good. Beating Virginia was a great indicator for us. They are one of the best teams in the country and to beat them and win the Windermere Cup is an honour.”

It was a nail-biting race for the two women’s eights. Virginia got out to an early lead before Washington made a huge push at the 1000m mark to draw even. With the cheering home crowds lining the channel to the finish line, Washington found an extra surge, crossing the finish line three seconds ahead of Virginia.

This Windermere Cup began in 1987 when Ernst teamed up with John Jacobi, founder of Windermere Real Estate, to bring some of the top international crews to race the University of Washington. The event is scheduled for the first day of boating season, a holiday celebrated in Seattle for more than 90 years. The race course begins on Lake Washington where hundreds of boats line the first 1000 metres. It then goes into the more sheltered Montlake Cup where thousands of spectators stand along the shore. Since its birth, the Windermere Cup has hosted many international teams including the Soviet Union, China, Romania and Argentina.

“These fans and this venue make up the best atmosphere in collegiate rowing,” said Ernst. “To give them a race like this, for the Windermere Cup – it doesn’t get much better.”

Results
Men’s Varsity Eight
New Zealand 5:43.4
University of Washington 5:45.8
Columbia University 6:04.5

Women’s Varsity Eight
University of Washington 6:29.6
University of Virginia 6:32.9

Quotes thanks to University of Washington Media

Full results here: https://www.herenow.com/#/races/20172/results