The Great Steamboat Race is an annual event, 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 been retired and the Belle of Cincinnati has taken its place in competition.[1]
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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.[2][3]
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 7 miles per hour (11 km/h). 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.
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 of series of tasks that the crews must perform for points prior to the race.[1][4] Because the Cincinnati is a diesel ship with more power, it is required to travel further to Harrods Creek.[5] 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.[4]
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.[6]
Several other riverboats have participated in the race:
Popular viewing areas for the race are the old Water Tower in Louisville, and along Utica Pike in Jeffersonville, especially near Duffy's Landing.
| Year | Winner | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Delta Queen | |
| 1964 | Belle of Louisville | |
| 1965 | Delta Queen | |
| 1966 | Delta Queen | |
| 1967 | N/A | High water led to race cancellation. |
| 1968 | Delta Queen | |
| 1969 | Belle of Louisville | |
| 1970 | Belle of Louisville | |
| 1971 | Belle of Louisville | |
| 1972 | Belle of Louisville | |
| 1973 | Delta Queen | |
| 1974 | Delta Queen | |
| 1975 | Belle of Louisville | |
| 1976 | Julia Belle Swain | |
| 1977 | Delta Queen | |
| 1978 | Delta Queen | |
| 1979 | Belle of Louisville | |
| 1980 | Belle of Louisville | |
| 1981 | Belle of Louisville | |
| 1982 | Natchez-New Orleans | Three-boat race |
| 1983 | Belle of Louisville | |
| 1984 | Delta Queen | Belle of Louisville received a bomb threat and had to pull into Cox's Park, evacuating 613 passengers.[7] |
| 1985 | Delta Queen | |
| 1986 | Delta Queen | |
| 1987 | Belle of Louisville | |
| 1988 | Belle of Louisville | |
| 1989 | Delta Queen | |
| 1990 | Delta Queen | |
| 1991 | Belle of Louisville | |
| 1992 | Delta Queen | |
| 1993 | Belle of Louisville | |
| 1994 | Delta Queen | |
| 1995 | Belle of Louisville | |
| 1996 | Belle of Louisville | Race shortened due to high water levels on the Ohio.[8] |
| 1997 | Delta Queen | |
| 1998 | Belle of Louisville | |
| 1999 | Spirit of Jefferson | |
| 2000 | Belle of Louisville | |
| 2001 | Delta Queen | |
| 2002 | Belle of Louisville | Belle of Cincinnati "initially won", but was disqualified when "it was found out" that it was diesel powered, and thus not a steamboat. |
| 2003 | Delta Queen | three boat race |
| 2004 | Belle of Louisville | |
| 2005 | Belle of Louisville | Delta Queen was unable to come to Louisville due to high water levels on the Ohio.[9] |
| 2006 | Delta Queen | |
| 2007 | Belle of Louisville | The Delta Queen arrived at the finish line ahead of the Belle by 1.5 boatlengths, but because the Queen turned before it got to its turnaround buoy, the Belle was given the victory.[10] |
| 2008 | Delta Queen | The Belle of Louisville arrived at the finish line ahead of the Delta Queen, but because the Belle turned before it got to its turnaround buoy, the Queen was given the victory. 3 Boat Race.[11] |
| 2009 | Belle of Louisville | Belle of Cincinnati replaced Delta Queen, which has been retired.[1] |
| 2010 | Belle of Cincinnati[5][12] | Score: 60 - 99 |
| 2011 | Belle of Louisville | High waters on the The Ohio River forced the race to be postponed to June 29, 2011. The Belle of Cincinnati was renamed The Belle of Kentucky, and, accordingly, she flew a Kentucky Wildcats banner covering "Belle of Cincinnati", adding a UofL/UK rivalry flavor to the race (seeing as the owners of The Belle of Cincinnati are UK fans) as a means to increase interest in the event being held outside of the traditional time of year, The Kentucky Derby Festival. |
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