Notebook: Visiting rowers give regatta high marks

As usual, the Windermere Cup Regatta appears to have made a big impression on the visiting rowers.

"Oh my God, the crowd was amazing," said Central Florida rower Tanya Kleisler. "I wish we had that at every race. It was a real fan base just like other sports. I have never seen that before. It definitely got us excited."

Through an interpreter, Russian rower Alexander Kulesh said, "The crowd is so big. Lots of people and lots of yachts. It's like a big holiday."

Another Russian rower, Anatasia Fatina, said, "I have taken part in other competitions in America, but I don't have any experience with such a big crowd."

The visiting rowers were talking about one of the unique events in world rowing — the Windermere Regatta, where a crowd of thousands on land and aboard boats watch the rowing and annual yacht parade. Because the finish line is in the Montlake Cut where the crowd is closest to the rowers, a high-decibel finish is guaranteed in close races.

Washington men's coach Bob Ernst said he never had heard a louder crowd in the Cut than Saturday.

In addition to praising the crowd and atmosphere, visiting rowers also praised the hospitality.

Michigan rower Matt Close said, "It has been a real fun couple of days since we have been out here. Windermere and the University of Washington have treated us well.

"The race was a lot of fun. To go to the line against the University of Washington and the Russian national team out here was a real treat for us."

Notes

• The easy victory by the No. 2 Washington women's boat (called "second varsity" in current nomenclature but "junior-varsity" in past terminology) kept the boat undefeated. It was the only Huskies boat — male or female — to beat California two weeks ago.

The UW boat covered the course in 7 minutes, 7.03 seconds, defeating Western Washington by 16 seconds.

• Men's crew is a club sport at 14th-ranked Michigan rather than a varsity sport and oarsmen pay $2,500 a year to participate. Crew is a men's varsity sport at seventh-ranked Washington.

Men's crew is not an NCAA sport at any school but women's crew is. Schools can give 20 scholarships in women's rowing and those scholarships help offset the scholarship gap caused by football.

• Here's a refreshing change from other sports: UW women's coach Eleanor McElvaine said after the varsity race that she gets a better grasp on how the crew performed by talking with her rowers than she does from watching film.

• The Cincinnati Junior Rowing Club won the boys junior-club eight-oared race. The Cincinnati girls finished fourth in their race.

Craig Smith: 206-464-8279 or csmith@seattletimes.com