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WHEELING – Driving through the middle of downtown Wheeling at 120 mph usually will land you in a lot of trouble, especially if police officers notice you didn’t buckle a safety belt.
But once a year on Labor Day weekend, police won’t bat an eye if you’re driving an old hydroplane racing boat.
Labor Day weekend Friday, Saturday and Sunday brings the crowd-pleasing Vintage Raceboat Regatta to the Heritage Port along the Ohio River in downtown Wheeling.
Dozens of old open-cockpit boats, some active in racing more than half a century ago, will be driven as hard as their drivers can push them in exhibition runs. Speeds will be in excess of 100 mph.
Debbie Joseph, who organizes the event with her husband, Dr. Dan Joseph, said they expect to have 50 or more entrants on the water.
“This is a family-oriented event with free admission,” she said. “We continue to do this as a fundraiser for the Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center because of the generosity of WesBanco bank, our title sponsor.”
The event is in its 10th year and has donated nearly $50,000 to the Easter Seals center in Wheeling.
In addition to boats, the event will feature a family fun tent with face painting and a balloon artist for children.
The vintage hydroplanes are the main attraction with their flashy paint jobs and colorful names like “Hot Flash,” “Sin,” “Roman Candle,” “River Rat” and “Jade Dragon.”
Without enclosed cockpits and racing harnesses, the vintage boats don’t meet the safety requirements for modern competition. The older boats, most with thin plywood hulls, have open cockpits where drivers sit unrestrained a few feet from roaring engines sometimes putting out two to three times as much horsepower as most cars and trucks.
The Josephs view their event as helping to keep the history of boat racing alive, while offering excitement for both hydroplane drivers and spectators. The regatta, in their words, is “the fastest museum in the world.”
The schedule of events includes:
Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Raceboat registration; Heritage Port pits open to the public.
Saturday and Sunday, 9:15 a.m., Ohio River closed to through traffic; buoys placed and course set; 9:45 a.m., opening ceremonies, blessing, United States/Canadian/Australian National Anthems by David Gaudio; 10-noon, heats of vintage hydroplanes and raceboats on the river; noon-1:30 p.m., Ohio River opened to regular river traffic. Radio-controlled airplane shows by the Ohio Valley Hillhoppers; free autograph session with raceboat drivers and free posters to the first 100 people; Free live music by the Sarah Hays Band; 1:30 p.m., River closed to through traffic; buoys placed and course set; 2-6 p.m., heats of vintage hydroplanes and raceboats; 7:30 p.m., free musical entertainment at Heritage Port (Saturday night only), with The Muddle at 7:30 p.m. and the 40 Plus Oldies Band at 9:30 p.m.