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Windermere Cup Returns for its 40th Year
For four decades, the Windermere Cup has brought together world-class rowing, Seattle tradition, and community celebration on the shores of the Montlake Cut. This year’s 40th annual Windermere Cup weekend carried that legacy forward in memorable fashion, with exciting international competition, a sold-out Party on the Cut, and the return of the Media Cup—all leading into one of Seattle’s most beloved spring traditions.
What began in 1987 as a partnership between Windermere Real Estate, the University of Washington, and the Seattle Yacht Club has grown into one of the premier rowing events in the world and a defining part of Opening Day of Boating in Seattle. The original vision was to showcase the excellence of UW Rowing and the Montlake Cut by bringing the world’s best competition to Seattle. That first year featured crews from the Soviet Union in one of the few athletic competitions held between the Soviet Union and the United States in more than two decades.
40 years later, the Windermere Cup continues to honor that vision, bringing together elite athletes, passionate fans, longtime community partners, and generations of Seattle tradition.
Media Cup Returns for Its 13th Year
Windermere Cup week officially kicked off on Tuesday, April 28th, with the 13th annual Media Cup, where four of Seattle’s television stations took to the water to compete for bragging rights and to support nonprofits of their choice that are making a difference in our community.
This year, KOMO 4 returned with redemption in mind, taking first place and earning a $2,000 donation for the USO Northwest. KIRO 7 placed second and donated $1,500 to The Salvation Army Northwest Division, while KING 5 secured third place and donated $1,000 to Northwest Harvest. FOX 13 rounded out the field and donated $500 to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center after taking home first place in last year’s race.
Continuing another meaningful Media Cup tradition, the Windermere Foundation also presented a $5,000 donation to the George Pocock Rowing Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping young people access and experience the life-changing sport of rowing.
A Sold-Out Night at Party on the Cut
On Friday evening, the community gathered once again for the 8th annual Party on the Cut. The sold-out event has become a staple of Windermere Cup weekend, bringing together rowing fans, community members, and supporters of the Windermere Foundation for an unforgettable night on the shores of the Cut.
Guests enjoyed live music from Nite Wave, Seattle’s premier ‘80s new wave tribute band, along with Hysteria, the ultimate Def Leppard tribute band, along with local food trucks, drinks, and the return of the Twilight Sprints, where the women’s crews from Great Britain Rowing, Rowing Canada Avion, and the University of Washington gave spectators a preview of Saturday’s competition.
From the music to the food trucks, volunteers, vendors, and community partners who helped bring the evening to life, Party on the Cut once again delivered a memorable kickoff to Windemere Cup weekend. Support from partners like Gentle Giants Moving Company, the official moving partner of Windermere Cup, and Sentry Computing, the official bar partner for Party on the Cut, helped make the celebration possible.
As always, proceeds from Party on the Cut benefited the Windermere Foundation and its ongoing mission to support low-income and homeless families throughout the Western U.S.
Celebrating 40 Years of Partnership
Saturday morning brought thousands of spectators back to the Montlake Cut as Seattle’s Opening Day of Boating Season once again paired with one of the city’s most iconic sporting traditions.
The Windermere Cup would not exist without the longstanding partnership between Windermere, the University of Washington, and the Seattle Yacht Club. For more than 100 years, the Seattle Yacht Club has organized Seattle’s Opening Day celebration, while UW Rowing has built one of the most respected rowing programs in the world. Together, those partnerships have transformed the Montlake Cut into an internationally recognized racing venue and one of the most unique settings in the sport.
Adding to the celebration was the appearance of the historic Malibu boat, which served as the lead boat in the Opening Day Boat Parade as it celebrated its 100th anniversary. The Malibu has long been connected to both Seattle Yacht Club history and the legacy of Windermere founder John Jacobi, making its presence this year an especially meaningful tribute to the people, partnerships, and traditions that have shaped Windermere Cup over the past 40 years.
International Competition Returns to Seattle
This year’s featured Windermere Cup races welcomed elite crews from Great Britain, Canada, Northeastern University, and the University of Washington.
The women’s Windermere Cup race featured a strong international field, with the GB Rowing Team women’s crew taking first place, followed by UW Women’s Purple in second, Rowing Canada Aviron in third, and UW Women’s Gold in fourth.
The men’s race delivered one of the most exciting finishes in recent Windermere Cup history. Racing against the current Olympic gold medal-winning GB Rowing Team men’s crew, the University of Washington Rowing men secured a dramatic photo-finish victory in front of the home crowd. Northeastern rounded out the field in third place.
Official race results and final standings are available here.
Forty years after its founding, the Windermere Cup continues to represent far more than a rowing race. It remains a celebration of Seattle’s community spirit, international competition, waterfront traditions, and the partnerships that have made the event possible for generations.
Here’s to 40 years on the Cut, and to many more ahead!
UW to Host New Zealand and Indiana at the 39th Annual Windermere Cup
On Saturday, May 3, the Windermere Cup will make its highly anticipated return to the Montlake Cut for its 39th year, bringing with it all the speed, pageantry, and community spirit Seattle has come to love.
The Windermere Cup began in 1987 when Windermere Real Estate founder John Jacobi partnered with the University of Washington and the Seattle Yacht Club to expand the crew races held annually on the Opening Day of Boating Season. The vision was simple but bold: bring the best rowing talent in the world to compete against UW’s elite program—and spotlight the Montlake Cut as a premier international racing venue.
39 years later, the Windermere Cup remains a cornerstone of Seattle’s Opening Day festivities—welcoming top international crews, celebrating the strength of community, and honoring a long-standing partnership between Windermere, UW, and the Seattle Yacht Club.
Windermere Cup 2025
Returning champions and first-time challengers come together at this year’s Windermere Cup, as the University of Washington welcomes the New Zealand National Team and Indiana University to the Montlake Cut.
Making their long-awaited return to the Cut, the New Zealand National Team brings their men’s and women’s crews back to Seattle for the first time in a decade. With past appearances in 1989, 1999, and 2015, New Zealand has a strong history at the Windermere Cup, including a first-place finish by the men’s crew in their last outing. Ten years later, they’re back—faster, stronger, and ready to take on the Huskies once again.
Making their Montlake debut is Indiana University, whose women’s crew will compete in the Windermere Cup for the first time this year. A rising force in collegiate rowing, the Hoosiers continue the tradition of bringing top NCAA programs to the Cut to face off against the University of Washington—one of the most dominant teams in the sport.
As always, the Windermere Cup is free and open to the public, with thousands of spectators lining both sides of the Montlake Cut to cheer on the athletes. Races begin at 10:15 AM, with the featured Windermere Cup races at 11:30 AM and 11:45 AM. The Opening Day Boat Parade, put on by the Seattle Yacht Club, begins promptly at noon, signaled by the ceremonial raising of the Montlake Bridge and a traditional cannon blast. An awards ceremony will follow at 12:30 PM on the north side of the Cut.
Race-day festivities on the shore include food vendors, a build-a-boat station, a bouncy house, a photo booth, and a chance to meet the inspiring team behind Pink Ribbon Row organization.
Kick Off the Weekend with Windermere’s Party on the Cut!
The celebration kicks off the night before with the seventh annual Party on the Cut, taking place Friday, May 2, from 6:00 to 10:00 PM at the NE corner of Montlake Cut near the UW Waterfront Activity Center. This 21+ event features food trucks, yard games, a beer tent, and live music from Queen Mother and Nite Wave. Attendees will also get a sneak peek of Saturday’s action with the Twilight Sprints, a short-course race through the Cut featuring the Windermere Cup competitors.
Tickets can be purchased here for $35 or at the door for $45, and all proceeds will benefit the Windermere Foundation and Seattle JazzED, a local nonprofit making music education more accessible for Seattle-area youth.
For more information and a full schedule of events, visit windermerecup.com and follow Windermere Cup on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
See you on the Cut!
Public Experiment on Guessing Home Market Values
Most people understand there are many factors contributing to the “sold price” of a house, but how accurate is the general public in guessing the price of a recently sold home? We decided to find out.
Before we get into the details of the experiment, let’s cut the general public some slack. Pricing a home is one of the most difficult jobs for real estate agents and home sellers. Many factors contribute to the eventual sale price, including:
- Local market trends
- Local market trends
- Interest rates
- Housing supply
- Neighborhood demand
- Buyer’s Markets
- Sellers Markets
- Balanced Markets
- Age and conditions
- Home improvements
- Curb appeal
- Zoning laws
Public Home Price Guessing Experiment
Every year, Windermere hosts the Windermere Cup, a rowing championship held in Seattle, at the University of Washington. Thousands of people attend the event, and many stop by the information booth.
This year, we installed a challenge at the information booth. The concept was very simple: guess the price of a recently sold home, and then spin the prize wheel.
Methodology
We provided four pictures of the home and many key data points to help participants with their guess.
Home displays included the address, neighborhood, square footage, # of beds, # of baths, year built, and other key factors like HOA fees, if it had a view, recent renovations, acreage, A/C, patios, decks, and more.
Participants were able to choose from eight different homes, of their choice, to guess the final price of the home. The price wasn’t revealed until the guess was recorded.
The Results
Out of the 182 participants, the average guess was 100.89% over the sold price. That’s double the actual home price. Only six people were able to come within $50,000 of the sold price. On the best-guessed house, people guessed an average of 31.77% over, but on the most difficult house, people guessed an average of 255.9% over the price.
Example home in Queen Anne: Actual Price: $825k
Average guess: $1,250,275 (51% over)
Given a different market, the results could have easily swung the other way, with people underestimating the value.
If you’d like to play a game like this yourself, we welcome you to try our home worth calculator to see how close you can get to guessing the current value of your own home.
Windermere and UW Welcome Italy for Olympic Re-Match in 38th Annual Windermere Cup
One of the premier rowing regattas in the world, the Windermere Cup returns to the Montlake Cut in Seattle for the 38th time on May 4, 2024. Hosted by Windermere Real Estate, the University of Washington, and the Seattle Yacht Club, the Husky men and women will battle crews from the University of Wisconsin and the Italian National team. Held annually on the first Saturday in May, the Windermere Cup is both an international sporting event and part of Seattle’s opening day of boating season celebration.
Windermere Cup 2024
This year’s international competitors were chosen to pay homage to the iconic 1936 Olympic race in Germany where the UW rowers, known as “the Boys in the Boat”, won gold and the Italian men took silver.
“With the recent release of the ‘Boys in the Boat’ movie, we thought it would be exciting to bring Italy to race in this year’s Windermere Cup and set the stage for a rematch of the 1936 Olympics when the Huskies and Italy fought it out for gold and silver respectively,” said Windermere Real Estate president, OB Jacobi. “We can’t wait for the iconic matchup between these teams and Wisconsin, and to celebrate this legacy of champions.”
The University of Washington also has strong ties to Wisconsin. Despite a long association between the two programs, Wisconsin’s men and women will be competing in the Windermere Cup for the first time. As Washington makes the shift from Pac-12 to the Big Ten, the two teams will compete in the same conference next year. Additionally, the women’s coach, Yasmin Farooq, was team captain during her time at Wisconsin and was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletics Hall of Fame in 2021 as a two-time Olympian.
“Of course, it’s my dream to have the two UWs meet up on Montlake,” Farooq said in the Seattle Times. “Yes, it’s a preview of our future together in the Big Ten, but it’s deeper than that. Wisconsin coach Vicky Opitz is a fellow Olympian. There is a lot of history between these two programs, and we can’t wait to welcome them to the Windermere Cup.”
The regatta starts at 10:15 am PST, featuring more than twenty races with athletes ages 14 – 70+ years. The Windermere Cup races will take place at 11:30 and 11:45am. Precisely at noon, a cannon blast will sound, and the Montlake Bridge will open, heralding the beginning of the Opening Day boat parade. This family-friendly day also offers a bouncy house, a build-a-boat station presented by Home Depot, food and drink vendors, and Windermere Cup apparel and commemorative items for purchase.
The Windermere Party on the Cut
This year is the sixth annual Party on the Cut at the ASUW Shellhouse, near the UW Waterfront Activities Center. This exclusive party kicks off a weekend of fun along the Montlake Cut and features live music, food vendors, a beer tent, and lawn games. Audiences will also get a sneak peek of the regatta when all the Windermere Cup crews race in the annual Twilight Sprints.
Tickets to Party on the Cut can be purchased for $35 here, with proceeds benefitting the Windermere Foundation and the Joe Rantz Rotary Youth Fund. You must be 21 or older to attend.
For more information and a schedule of events, visit windermerecup.com and follow Windermere Cup on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Join in the fun on social media with the official hashtag of this year’s Windermere Cup: #WindermereCup2024
37th Annual Windermere Cup: UW vs Australia
Windermere Cup 2023
One of the premier regattas in the world, Windermere Cup, returns to the Montlake Cut in Seattle, Washington on May 6, 2023. Hosted by Windermere Real Estate and the University of Washington, this year’s event marks the 37th installment in the Cup’s storied history.
The University of Washington men’s and women’s crews will battle the Australian National team in what will be a spectacle of first-class competition from two of the top rowing programs in the world. There will be several races throughout the morning, with the first event kicking off at 10:15 am PST and culminating in the Windermere Cup races at 11:30. The event is also a celebration of the opening day of boating season. After the Windermere Cup is presented to the winning men’s and women’s crews, a cannon will sound and the Montlake Bridge will open, heralding the beginning of boating season led by Seattle Yacht Club’s opening day boat parade.
Windermere Party on the Cut
The weekend kicks off with one of the area’s favorite parties. On May 5, the night before the races, Windermere will host the fifth annual Party on the Cut near the UW Waterfront Activity Center. This exclusive party will be filled with food vendors, drinks, and games, as live music fills the air. Tickets can be purchased for $30 here, with proceeds benefitting the Windermere Foundation and the Joe Rantz Rotary Youth Fund. You must be 21 or older to attend.
For more information and a schedule of events, visit windermerecup.com and follow Windermere Cup on Facebook and Twitter. Join in the fun on social media with the official hashtag of this year’s Windermere Cup: #WindermereCup2023
Featured Image Source: Windermere Real Estate
Windermere Cup Returns for 36th Annual Regatta
The 36th annual Windermere Cup will be held Saturday May 7th, 2022, in Seattle, Washington. The rowing regatta hosted by Windermere Real Estate and the University of Washington brings together the best rowing crews in the world for a weekend of festivities and races along Seattle’s scenic Montlake Cut. After a cancellation in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a limited event in 2021, the Windermere Cup returns in full force in 2022.
The University of Washington men’s and women’s crews will face off against top international talent in a battle for Windermere Cup supremacy. Held annually on the first Saturday in May, the Windermere Cup is both an international sporting event and a celebration of boating season open day. Following the races, the Seattle Yacht Club hosts their annual Opening Day Boat Parade.
Windermere Cup 2022
Two storied programs make their way to Seattle this year to compete against the University of Washington: the Netherlands Men’s National Team and the Great Britain Women’s National Team. Last year, the Dutch men’s rowing team finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympic Games. At the Under 23 level, the Dutch men’s eight has rowed in the grand final in each of the last four world championships, winning bronze in 2019 and gold in 2017. The British women’s crew won silver at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and were one of only seven nations to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Great Britain’s women’s eight also won silver in the World Rowing Under 23 Championships in 2019 and gold in the women’s four in 2021.
These crews face a University of Washington rowing program whose long tradition of winning on both national and global stages shows no signs of slowing. The UW women have won twelve national championships, including two of the last four; while the men’s team has won nineteen national titles, including eight of the last fourteen. In May of last year, the UW men’s team swept all four grand finals at the 2021 Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championship Regatta.
Windermere Party on the Cut: Boats, Bites, Brews, & Bands
The night before the regatta we’ll be hosting this year’s Party on the Cut! The event will take place Friday, May 6th, from 6 pm to 10pm. Come join us on the northeast corner of the Cut for an evening of fun, games, live music, food, and drinks. Tickets are $25 in advance or $35 at the door. This year features live performances from Nite Wave and the Queen tribute band Queen Mother. Tickets can be purchased through Brown Paper Tickets here: Party on the Cut 2022.
For more information and a schedule of events, visit windermerecup.com and follow Windermere Cup on Facebook and Twitter. You can also join in the fun on social media with the official hashtag of this year’s Windermere Cup: #WindermereCup2022
Join Us for the 33rd Annual Windermere Cup This Saturday
On May 4 the Montlake Cut will play host once again to the Windermere Cup rowing regatta. For the past 33 years, Windermere Real Estate and the University of Washington have joined together to host this event, which brings the world’s best crews to Seattle to compete against the perennially acclaimed UW men’s and women’s teams. Held annually on the first Saturday in May…
Windermere Welcomes Cuba to 30th Annual Windermere Cup
Along with our partners at the University of Washington, Windermere Real Estate is excited to welcome the Cuban Men’s and Women’s National Rowing Teams as the headlining opponent for the 30th annual Windermere Cup, scheduled for Saturday, May 7, 2016. Rounding out the event will be the Stanford men’s and University of San Diego women’s teams.
2011: A year in Review
Saturday is New Year’s Eve, and the year in review articles, top ten lists of 2011, and 2012 predictions are showing up everywhere.
May Perspective
The camaraderie is everywhere you look: on the banks of the Montlake Cut, where Seattle residents welcome visitors from around the world to the beautiful University of Washington campus; on the water, where great athletes join together to do what none of them could do individually. Thousands of people coming together for a common cause. That, in and of itself, is powerful stuff.
