Opening Day for boating is a Seattle thing..
Opening Day began in 1913. It became a Seattle tradition that started in 1920. This day of boating festivities is a regional cultural event that brings thousands together to revel in the splendor. Opening Day is sponsored by the Seattle Yacht Club, one of the country's most active and long-established yacht clubs formed in 1892.
This year's festivities were kicked off on a beautiful, sunny Saturday on May 7 with the 30th annual Windermere Cup Regatta through the Montlake Cut. The spectacular weather was a perfect for Opening Day. Approximately 800 rowers on teams from all over the world compete in the race.
Following the regatta, there are sailboat races and then a spectacular parade of boats. By some accounts, the well attended boating extravaganza is unique in the US. The only thing comparable is an annual parade of commercial vessels in Venice, Italy.
In this painting is the Seattle Yacht Club viewed from Delmar Drive East. The yacht club is adorned in marine blue awnings. The club is surrounded by hundreds of sailboats. In the lower foreground is the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, officially the Albert D. Rosellini Bridge (named for a former Governor of the state), and commonly known as "the 520 bridge." Below the bridge is a portion of Portage Bay, Lake Washington. In the background to the right one can see the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. To the left, are the covered home-side bleachers of Husky Stadium, University of Washington.
The regatta starts in Lake Washington racing under the Montlake Bridge with the finish line in Portage Bay.
Mary Lamery is a lifelong resident and native of the Pacific Northwest. Lamery paints regional landscape in a manner that leans towards 19th century French Impressionism. Through her project, "Washington Americana," she will create original landscape paintings from her journeys through Washington for the creation of an art book of painted landscape of Washington State.