The Belle of Louisville repeats as winner of the Great Steamboat Race

It seems appropriate that Brad Paisley’s “Down by the River bank” came on the radio as we pulled off of I-64 onto River Road as we headed to the 2015 Great Steamboat Race. Today the Ohio River bank held two boats that would do battle on the Ohio later in the day.

One of the Kentucky Derby Festival’s signature events is the Great Steamboat Race, which pits the Belle of Louisville, (@BELLELOUISVILLE) a steam powered paddle wheel boat against another similar boat, the Belle of Cincinnati. The race has been held 51 times since 1963, with one cancellation due to flooding along the Ohio (and several reschedules). Both boats race from and to the Clark Memorial Bridge over a 17 mile course where they have tasks to perform: dock along the river bank, pick up a celebrity and a bourbon barrel, and fetch a buoy from the river.

The contest isn’t just a race, there are other on-shore crew challenges to add more fun to the event in what’s known as the Battle of the Bounce where boat crews joust with inflatable horses and compete in obstacle courses.

Tickets for the Belle of Louisville sell out quickly and include a buffet and free drinks. Sponsor Four Roses Bourbon is also on hand providing samples of their bourbon to patrons. Tickets for the Belle of Cincinnati don’t sell out as quickly and are a bit more affordable.

Like last year, while standing in line to board, the sun lead you to think you were in for a lovely day, only to find clouds rolling in about the time the boats pushed from their moorings. The 2014 race ended up being brutally cold in particular for those who dressed for a sunny day once the boats turned and headed back down river into the wind. This year, it was cool, but not so cold to dampen the fun.

The Belle of Louisville, who gets to turn earlier for competitive reasons, raced out to a lead and as she approached the finish at the Clark Memorial Bridge to a chorus of chanting fans, the Belle of Cincinnati could be seen off the starboard stern pushing to make up distance but fell short about 10 boat lengths.

For many people this is an annual adventure that they have done for years, for others it is their first time. It’s good to see your friends you have met in previous races and the new friends you make for the next time.

On a side note, I was interviewed before the race by WLKY TV 32 and had a chance to trash talk the Belle of Cincinnati prior to the race. They wanted to know who would win. I was brutally honest… something about kicking the Belle of Cincinnati off of our river…..