Wheeling Vintage Hydroplane Regatta: Thunder on the Ohio River
Third Annual
Wheeling Vintage Hydroplane Regatta
Wheeling WV
August 30-31, 2008
[Click images to enlarge.]
Part of the DBKP Roadtrip #2
The first leg of our four-part roadtrip to Wheeling WV, Washinton, PA and back to Wheeling.
The 2nd part: McCain, Palin a Hit in PA; CNN’s Story Leads with “Boosâ€
The 3rd part tomorrow: The Miss Hawaiian Tropic (WV) State Finals at the Wheeling Island Racetrack-Casino.
The 4th part, also tomorrow: The Friends of Coal Football Extravaganza with 6 of the top high school footballs teams, including 2005 and 2006 mythical national champ, Lakeland HS (FL), Cleveland Glenville (OH), 2007 PA state champions, Thomas Jefferson and Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Steubenville (OH) Central and 4-time defending WV champion, Wheeling Central Catholic.
Entering Heritage Port on the Ohio River at Wheeling, WV, visitors are greeted by a life-size statue of native son, Walter Reuther, founder of the United Auto Workers and President of the CIO (Congress of Industrial Organizations).
A beautiful day, thunderous boats and a Labor Day weekend: what more could spectators want? How about free admission!
From the south entrance to the port, the Tijuana Taxi was the first hydroplane one sees.
The end of summertime–and the living is easy.
A number of cranes lifted the hydroplanes up, up and away into the awaiting Ohio River.
Thrills, chills and–hopefully–no spills.
In July 2008, Extreme Boats magazine had a feature article in their latest issue about the 2007 Wheeling Vintage Raceboat Regatta.
The Wheeling Vintage Raceboat Regatta was awarded the Vintage Event of the Year from the American Power Boat Association. From Friendly City Regatta Wins Award
Wheeling has lived up to its reputation as the “Friendly City” for a second consecutive year in the eyes of the American Power Boat Association.
The association has declared Wheeling’s Annual Vintage Raceboat Regatta the “Vintage Event of the Year” for 2007, an honor that also was awarded for 2006 after the first regatta was held in Wheeling. This is the first time the organization has bestowed the honor upon the same city two years in a row.
“The city’s just been wonderful,” said Debbie Joseph, the regatta’s founder and main organizer.
The rest of the pictures hopefully will give the reader a bit of the “feel” of the Regatta on a Labor Day 2008 weekend in Wheeling, WV.
More info and pictures at WHEELING VINTAGE RACEBOAT REGATTA.
by Mondoreb
images: DBKP
How fast you could drive with thouse speed boats ???
I´ve seen it on tv, it´s amazing that somebody can drive so fast on the water….
Reply
Ken Warby comes to Wheeling every year.
He set the world water speed record at 317.60 miles per hour!
That’s an average speed for 2 miles… (1 mile each way)
Ken designed, built and drove his jet boat to this speed.
He drives his 1000 horsepower ski boat at the Wheeling event.
It’s something to see!
Reply