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A Cherished Seattle Tradition: Seattle Opening Day

Seattle Opening Day of Boating Season 
Saturday, May 7th, 2016 

30th-annual-windermere-cup
Source: Gohuskies.com

It’s time to steer your way to Opening Day, the official opening of Seattle’s boating season sponsored by the Seattle Yacht Club. Thousands of boat lovers and owners alike will be jumping out of their winter “nests” to honor this esteemed tradition, celebrating our beautiful Puget Sound and the joy of boating.

The event in its entirety is for all who love being near and on the water. Yachts, motorboats, and sailboats, take up the front row seats while spectators on foot  and “boat dreamers” lay their blankets on the shoreline and watch the fun over a pleasant picnic spread.

This year’s theme, A Great Escape, was chosen to allow parade competitors creative room for their choosing of music and decorations. Without a doubt, the anticipated variety will contribute to this year’s spectacle of a parade. But before the parade begins, there will be a sailboat race and the 30th annual Windermere Cup races will transpire. 

It will be a memorable time. After all, there is nothing quite like being in boating bliss – parting from the shore, the cool wind grazing your face, birds soaring overhead, and blue waters surrounding you (or at least dreaming about it from your spot on the beach or the dock!)

So come down this weekend and partake in the fun! Be sure to use the hashtags listed below when sharing this year’s Opening Day action with all your friends on social media! And don’t miss out on the Tacoma Yacht Club Dock Zero Party on Friday, May 6th from 4-6pm!

Hashtags:

#tacomayachtclub

#seattleyachtclub

#windermerecup

#seattleopeningday

#seattleopeningday2016

#seattleboatingseason

For more information, you can visit the Seattle Yacht Club’s page. To see where you can view the event, visit this page.

A History of Opening Day

Seattle Opening Day
Source: Seattle Yacht Club

Based upon the recollections of a Seattle Yacht Club member, the first Opening Day took place in early May 1913 where a parade and a regatta in Elliott Bay commenced. Six years later, the parade was held through the Montlake Cut after the Seattle Yacht Club moved to its new (and current) facilities in Portage Bay. The parade and sporting event lasted through the war years; the largest and most festive event following in 1946, shortly after the second World War.

The introduction of themes came into play in 1959, with the first being “Hell’s a Poppin” and since then, participants design their boats around each year’s newfound inspiration. Over the years, new events have become a part of Opening Day such as the University of Washington crew races.

Today, it continues to be a highly anticipated spring tradition, launching off a summer of boating for a plethora of steadfast boaters in the greater Seattle area!

 

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