Friendly City Regatta Wins Award
By MICHAELA BASHAMArticle Photos
Fact Box
The Third Annual Wheeling Vintage Raceboat Regatta will be held Aug. 29-31 at Heritage Port.
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.
Joseph presented the plaque to Wheeling City Council at Tuesday's meeting, saying organizers couldn't have achieved such success without the help of council, the mayor, the police and fire departments and many other individuals and organizations. Joseph's husband, Dan, also provided council members with copies of Extreme Boats Magazine, which features an article on last year's regatta.
"Heritage Port is the future of the city," Joseph told council about the site of the regatta.
Joseph had previously recounted that when Tom Bertolini, chairman of the APBA Vintage & Historic Division, first saw the venue for Wheeling's regatta, he said it "could be the best event on our circuit."
That was when the first regatta was still in its planning stages, and Wheeling did not disappoint.
The Vintage Event of the Year Award is based largely upon the hospitality of the city, the friendliness of people in the city and the ease with which the organization can work with the city. Joseph said the award is a great testament to the fun everyone has here.
This year, organizers of Wheeling's Vintage Raceboat Regatta plans to outdo themselves again with the return of many crowd-favorites to the Labor Day Weekend event. In addition to the vintage raceboats showing off on the water, the Valley Hillhoppers will return with their radio-controlled airplanes. A special new event will be the involvement of Sea Quest, an organization that teaches boat building and water safety to children by helping them build their own boats and then try them out on the water.
Joseph said she is excited to be working with Sea Quest. The organization works with children 3 and up, including all special needs children, which fits well with the regatta's commitment to benefit Easter Seals. Joseph is still seeking sponsors for the Sea Quest boats so that every child who wants to participate can.
To find more information about the regatta, or about the Sea Quest Program, see the event's official Web site at http://www.wheelingvintageregatta.com.
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E2Driver
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07-17-08 9:32 AM
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I love watching these boats. If you have not been to it yet, I highly recommend it. Best free entertainment around.
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