Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta

View of the 2002 Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta.

The Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta is an annual motorboat and river festival held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The festival was first held in 1978[1] and is often host to an F1 ChampBoat Series race. The F1 race, originally held in 1982, was the first F1 power boat race held in the United States.[2] 2008 saw the return of F1 Power Boat racing at the Pittsburgh Regatta after a two-year hiatus following the 2005 festival.[2] The festival had been scheduled to coincide with the July 4th holiday, however 2016 saw a return to the Regatta being held prior in early August, as it traditionally was prior to 2004.[3] The festival is the largest inland regatta in the United States,[4] drawing tens of thousands of fans along Allegheny River. The F1 race course consists of a 4-pin 1.25 (2 km) course.[5] In 2008, the Pittsburgh regatta F1 ChampBoat race was nationally broadcast on the Speed Channel.[6]

The Regatta is the annual continuation of the original speed boat and paddle wheeler races of the "Pittsburgh Welcome Week Regatta" held annually starting on May 21, 1949 and through the mid-1950s.

Festival

Festival crowd at Point State Park with the downtown Pittsburgh skyline in the background
Artists working on an annual sand sculpture for the Regatta

The race corresponds to a three-day festival in downtown Pittsburgh consisting of variety of events including free concerts, food vendors, aerial competitions, various water sports, dragon boat races, and the July Fourth fireworks display for the City of Pittsburgh. Over 1.5 million people are estimated to have attended some aspect of the regatta events every year.[4]

1988 Accident

On August 7, 1988, one of the Formula 1 boats went out of control and crashed into a crowd near Three Rivers Stadium. There were 24 injuries and 1 fatality.[7] The accident was captured on live TV during the broadcast of a Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Mets baseball game from a blimp above the stadium.

Results

1979

Held August 11 & 12 and hosted the "Mid-America Sternwheeler Race" with finishing line being the Smithfield Street Bridge.[8][9]

2008

Placeboat numberpilotteamhometownpoints
142Shaun TorrenteGrand Prix Boats GLBCHomestead, FL400
216Tim SeeboldBud Light Team SeeboldOsage Beach, Missouri380
310Terry RinkerRinker/Amsoil RacingTampa, FL360
438Jeff ShepherdShepherd ConstructionWoodlawn, TN350
517Brian VentonJenkinson Telecom/Hancock Inc.Bowmanville, ON340
641Randy RinkerRinker/Amsoil RacingSyracuse, Indiana330
772Lynn SimburgerPlaycraft BoatsElsah, Illinois320
888Billy JouleB&B / Joule Marine TransportTiera Verde, FL310
91Nithat KunjengSingha BeerThailand300
108Mark JohnsonPur Sang EngineeringJaffrey, NH290
116Matt SadlXG-AD.COM/Massageluxe.comPacific, MO280

References

  1. ↑ "Regatta Success". The Pittsburgh Press. 1978-07-26. p. B-2.
  2. 1 2 Michael Machosky, Regatta revs up for return of Grand Prix racing, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 2008-06-29, accessdate=2009-03-01
  3. ↑ Marylynne Pitz, New-look Regatta ends in a splash of fireworks, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2004-07-05, accessdate=2009-03-01
  4. 1 2 Tim O'Brien, 1.5 Million Head To The River For Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Regatta, Amusement Business, 1999-08-23, accessdate=2009-03-01
  5. ↑ The Official Site of F1 ChampBoat Racing: Jul 3-4 Pittsburgh, PA, accessdate=2009-03-01
  6. ↑ City's Enthusiasm Over Three Rivers Regatta Grows, WPXI Pittsburgh, 2008-06-05, accessdate=2009-03-01
  7. ↑ The Three Rivers Regatta Accident: An EMS Perspective
  8. ↑ The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search
  9. ↑ The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search
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