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Going for Glory:
The 2012 Wilson Cup
The famous parade of boats is a long Opening Day tradition on
the Montlake Cut. This year, the team from Seattle Yacht Club took
the prestigious Wilson Seamanship Cup, a portion of the parade
dedicated to honor and decorum.
A
squadron
of Grand Banks proudly captured the Wilson Seamanship
Trophy on behalf of the Seattle Yacht Club at Opening Day
2012, the official opening of Seattle’s boating season.
Opening Day traces its roots to a Fourth of July celebration on Seattle’s
waterfront in 1895. In 1920, shortly after completion of the Ship Canal
that links Seattle’s inland lakes with Puget Sound, the celebration moved
to the fresh waters of Portage Bay and the Montlake Cut.
Over the years events such as the Windermere Cup crew races, which attract
top teams from around the world, have become a part of the day’s
traditional festivities. Many spectators watch these popular races through
the Montlake Cut from the shore, aboard boats tied to log booms along
the cut, or on TV.
After the crew races comes the Opening Day Parade, featuring hundreds
of yachts big and small, old and new. The Wilson Cup is the competitive
highlight of the parade.
This year the GB group bested several others from yacht clubs and boating
organizations across the Northwest, including teams from Victoria and
Vancouver, B.C. Teams of seven or more boats must parade in tight formation
and execute a set of close, precise maneuvers as they pass the judging
committee; each fleet is rated for spacing and maneuvering, holding position,
crews at attention, consistent attire, and overall nautical appearance.
The trophy itself is a beautiful Spanish naval cannon that the winning team
proudly displays at their clubhouse until the next Opening Day.
Open Day takes place annually on the first Saturday of May, rain or
shine—and this being Seattle, even the likelihood of rain doesn’t keep area
boaters away!
“Teams of seven or more boats must parade
in tight formation and execute a set of close,
precise maneuvers as they pass the judging
committee; each fleet is rated for spacing and
maneuvering, holding position, crews
at attention, consistent attire, and overall
nautical appearance.”
COMPANY NEWS & EVENTS
SPRAY
2012 ANNUAL PRINT EDITION
23