Apollo Mechanical Cup 2026: Everything You Need to Know

H1 Unlimited returns to Seattle for the Apollo Mechanical Cup, part of the Seafair Weekend Festival on Lake Washington from Friday, July 31 to Sunday, August 2, 2026. General admission on Friday, July 31 is free, courtesy of Windermere.

Jimmy Shane and Andrew Tate carry their Apollo Columbia Cup battle into Seattle after Shane’s win at Tri-Cities, with the H1 Unlimited fleet joined on the water by Grand Prix America Hydroplanes, Vintage Hydroplanes and the entry-level Junior Hydros class, alongside a full military and aerobatic airshow programme including the U.S. Navy Blue Angels.

What Spectators Will See

Seafair Weekend Festival is Seattle’s biggest hydroplane event of the year, run on the Lake Washington course in front of the Stan Sayres pits. Beyond the H1 Unlimited hydroplanes, which reach nearly 220 mph, the weekend features Grand Prix America boats, the Vintage Hydroplane fleet, and Junior Hydros, the entry-level class for drivers aged nine to sixteen racing nine-foot boats with a 40 mph top speed.

The airshow programme runs alongside the racing each day, closing with the Blue Angels at 3:30 PM. Other highlights include a U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue demonstration, a PBY-5A Catalina water takeoff, and military flypasts from the U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Washington Air National Guard. Sunday’s racing and airshow will be broadcast live on FOX 13 Seattle.

Full Weekend Schedule

All times Pacific Daylight Time (PDT, UTC-7). Your local time is shown in the right column.

Venue and Tickets

Racing and the airshow take place on Lake Washington at Genesee Park in South Seattle. There are three entrances: the main gate at 43rd Ave S and S Genesee St, a north entrance at Lake Washington Blvd S and Lake Park Dr S, and a south entrance at 49th Ave S and Lake Washington Blvd S. ADA parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis at 43rd and Genesee.

General admission on Friday, July 31 is free courtesy of Windermere. Tickets are required for Saturday and Sunday, with paid grandstand and premium options also available. Full ticket information is at seafair.org.

Seafair runs a free shuttle from Columbia City Link light rail station to the park, Friday through Sunday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. King County Metro Route 50 also serves Genesee Park directly, with Route 7 stopping around half a mile from the south end of the park.