The Club Sports women’s crew team will be in Seattle this Saturday for one of the largest regattas of the year.
The Ducks will have an eight-person varsity boat competing in the Windermere Cup, which is put on by the Seattle Yacht Club. This is an international regatta and attracts teams from all over the world, including the Women’s British National Team.
The Ducks, competing in their fourth regatta of the season, said they are just excited to be competing as the Windermere Cup requires an invitation. This means only the best teams in the nation will be present, including Stanford.
“The fact that we were invited is really important,” junior coordinator Erin Koenig said. “It is based on performance as well as recommendations and dedication to the sport. We are looking for it to be a really fun regatta.”
Oregon is coming off of a strong finish at the Redwood Invite two weeks ago at Humboldt State, where all the boats for the Ducks placed. They enter the Windermere Cup ranked 15th in the nation, but expect to prove themselves better this weekend.
“It is a tremendous experience and an honor to be part of it,” Oregon head coach Joe Neron said. “I expect a great race from my girls.”
After the conclusion of this regatta, the Ducks have just two events left before the end of the season. The Pacific Coast Rowing Championships and the Pacific-10 Conference Championships will be held the weekend of May 18-19.
Koenig said the Ducks are confident they can place high in those two competitions, but there is business to be taken care of in Seattle first. The women did not compete in the Windermere Cup last year.