Great Steamboat Race
{{Short description|Annual steamboat race on the Ohio River}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{infobox recurring event
| image = Great Steamboat Race 1.jpg
| caption = The 2007 Race, as seen from Duffy's Landing in Jeffersonville, Indiana
| logo =
| website = {{URL|https://discover.kdf.org/great-steamboat-race/|Race webpage}}
| frequency = Annual
| date = Late April or early May
| founded = {{start date and age|1963}}
}}
The Great Steamboat Race is an annual steamboat race, taking place the Wednesday before the first Saturday of May, three days before the Kentucky Derby, as part of the Kentucky Derby Festival. The race was first run in 1963 and it takes place on the Ohio River in the span that runs between Louisville, Kentucky and Jeffersonville, Indiana. Until 2009, the race was traditionally between the Belle of Louisville and the Delta Queen, although other steamboats have participated. Since 2009, the Delta Queen has not participated due to ownership and legal issues, and the Belle of Cincinnati has taken its place in the competition.{{cite web |last=Lampert |first=Hailee |url=http://www.wlky.com/sports/19322086/detail.html |title=Great Steamboat Race Tonight – Sports News Story – WLKY Louisville |publisher=Wlky.com |accessdate=May 3, 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717065942/http://www.wlky.com/sports/19322086/detail.html |archivedate=July 17, 2011 }} In 2012, the Belle of Louisville and Belle of Cincinnati were joined in the race by the American Queen.{{cite web|url=http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20120416/DERBYFUN03/304160063/Rules-scoring-announced-Great-Steamboat-Race |title=Rules, scoring announced for Great Steamboat Race |publisher=The Courier-Journal |date= |accessdate=May 1, 2012}}
Format
The race is scheduled annually as part of the Kentucky Derby Festival. The event pits at least two riverboats against each other in the span of the Ohio River that runs between Louisville, Kentucky and Jeffersonville, Indiana. Spectators can watch the event from the shore or aboard a competing vessel.{{cite web |url=http://kdf.org/news-Derby-Festival-Events-Wednesday-April-28.html |title=Kentucky Derby Festival |publisher=Kdf.org |date=April 28, 2010 |accessdate=May 3, 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100924100819/http://kdf.org/news-Derby-Festival-Events-Wednesday-April-28.html |archivedate=September 24, 2010 }}{{cite news |last=Huffman |first=Julia |url=https://www.wave3.com/2024/05/01/watch-live-2024-great-steamboat-races/ |title=WATCH LIVE: 2024 Great Steamboat Races |date=April 22, 2024 |work=WAVE |access-date=May 4, 2024 |archive-date=May 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240501224028/https://www.wave3.com/2024/05/01/watch-live-2024-great-steamboat-races/ |url-status=live }}
= Traditional =
The race began underneath the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge, which served as the start/finish line. Both steamboats raced to Six Mile Island, where they turned around to return to the bridge. The distance is 14 miles, with boats averaging a speed of {{convert|7|mph}}. The competitors were traditionally the Belle of Louisville and the Delta Queen, although other additional or substitutionary vessels occasionally competed. The annual winner received the Golden Antlers, which would remain with the winner until the next race.
= Modern =
2008 was the last year to feature the Delta Queen as a competitor prior to it being renovated into a dry-dock hotel; the Belle of Cincinnati has subsequently entered the races in the Queen{{'}}s stead. In 2009, the event organizers changed the format prompting the Belle of Cincinnati{{'}}s Capt. Kerry Snowden to note that "[t]here are no rules in riverboat racing, so whatever goes, goes". The new format features a series of tasks that the crews must perform for points prior to the race.{{cite web |url=http://www.fox41.com/Global/story.asp?S=12294999 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130124041857/http://www.fox41.com/Global/story.asp?S=12294999 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 24, 2013 |title=Great Steamboat Race details announced – FOX41.com Louisville News Kentucky Indiana News Weather Sports |publisher=Fox41.com |date=April 12, 2010 |accessdate=May 3, 2010 }} Because the Cincinnati is a diesel ship with more power, it is required to travel further to Harrods Creek.{{cite web |url=http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100428/DERBYFUN03/4280422/1008/news01/Belle+of+Cincinnati+prevails+in+Great+Steamboat+Race |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119233806/http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100428/DERBYFUN03/4280422/1008/news01/Belle+of+Cincinnati+prevails+in+Great+Steamboat+Race |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 19, 2013 |title=Belle of Cincinnati prevails in Great Steamboat Race | courier-journal.com |publisher=The Courier-Journal |date=April 28, 2010 |accessdate=May 3, 2010 }} The boat with the most points after the race is determined to be the winner and is presented with the Silver Antlers, which take the place of the Golden Antlers that were retired when the Queen stopped competing.
File:American Queen Eads Bridge.jpg is one of only five major riverboats in the United States that are powered by steam.]]
The 2012 race featured, for the first time since 2008, once again two steam-powered boats as competitors, as well as the diesel-powered Belle of Cincinnati. The American Queen, returned to overnight steamboat service in April 2012, competed in the three-way race on May 2, 2012, and finished as second.
History
The first Great Steamboat Race was held in 1963 between the Belle of Louisville and the Delta Queen, establishing the traditional rivalry until 2008 when the Queen was retired. The Queen won the first race. As of the Delta Queen{{'}}s last race in 2008, the Louisville won 22 races compared to the Queen{{'}}s 20 wins. The Louisville's winning record compared to the Queen{{'}}s larger size and more powerful engines has helped fuel the unproven speculation that the race is predetermined.Kentucky Curiosities, by Vince Staten, pg 8.
= Other competitors =
Several other riverboats have participated in the race:
- Julia Belle Swain competed in 1975 and 1976, the latter of which it won.
- Natchez IX of the New Orleans Steamboat Company in 1982, which it won.
- Spirit of Jefferson raced in 1999 in the Louisville{{'}}s stead while the Louisville was recovering from sabotage. It is diesel-powered and has been used as an observation boat for the race.
- Belle of Cincinnati was a contestant in 2002, and followed as an observation boat in latter years. Since 2009, it has replaced the Delta Queen as the annual competitor. It is diesel-powered and has also been used as an observation boat for the race.
- American Queen competed for the first time in 2012, in a 3-way race with the Louisville and Cincinnati, finishing 2nd.
- American Duchess competed for the first time in 2018, in a 3-way race with the Cincinnati and Louisville, finishing 1st.
Popular viewing areas for the race are the old Water Tower in Louisville, and along Utica Pike in Jeffersonville, especially near Duffy's Landing.
Results
File:Great Steamboat Race 2007 start.jpg
File:Duffys Landing Spectators.jpg]]
File:Belle of Cincinnati.jpg follows the competitors in 2007]]
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{Offficial website|https://discover.kdf.org/great-steamboat-race/}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070928014348/http://www.whas11.com/topstories/stories/052407whasjnLocalSteamboatrace.2ecb3b11.html May 2, 2007 WHAS11 article] (2007 results as well as details of judges decision)
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927120702/http://www.kdf.org/events/event-steamboat.asp Official History] (September 27, 2007 archive)
- [https://www.steamboats.org/ Directory of steamboats/riverboats in the U.S. and Europe]
= Competing steamboats =
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20210217150253/https://www.americanqueensteamboatcompany.com/ American Queen] (archive)
- [https://www.belleoflouisville.org/ Belle of Louisville]
- [https://bbriverboats.com/our-fleet/belle-of-cincinnati Belle of Cincinnati]
- [https://deltaqueenhotel.net/ Delta Queen]
- [https://www.steamboatnatchez.com/steamboat-natchez.html Natchez IX]
{{Kentucky Derby}}
Category:Steamboats of the Ohio River
Category:Kentucky Derby Festival
Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1963