Eighty-two rowers from the Bainbridge Island Rowing Club and the Vashon Island Rowing Club are among seventy nine colleges, high schools and clubs from Japan, Canada and seven U.S. states are set to compete in the 27th annual Head of the Lake rowing regatta in Seattle Sunday

Forty-six Bainbridge Island Rowing Club athletes will compete in eight separate events.

With 2,173 competitors, the Head of the Lake Regatta is recognized as the largest fall rowing regatta west of the Mississippi River.

The three-mile Head of the Lake course winds westward along a three-mile course from the Montlake Cut, around Lake Union’s Gas Works Park to the finish line near the Fremont Bridge.

Competition for 412 separate boats gets underway at 8 a.m. for the first of 40 rowing and sculling events and runs until 3 p.m.

The event is free to spectators with the best viewing from Gas Works Park. Parking is available at Husky Stadium on the University of Washington campus with a free shuttle running throughout the day to and from Gas Works Park and the finish line in Fremont.

In club competition, which includes events for both national team-caliber rowers and masters rowers age 27 to 78, 225 competitors including several Olympic hopefuls are entered in 20 separate events.