{{Short description|Annual motorboat and river festival held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States}} thumb|right|300px|View of the 2002 Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta. The '''Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta''', named for the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio Rivers at Pittsburgh, is an annual motorboat and river festival held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The festival was first held in 1978<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Pittsburgh Press|date=1978-07-26|title=Regatta Success|page=B-2|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=peEhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YVgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3264%2C4050890}}</ref> 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.<ref name="trib1">[http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/ae/s_574589.html Michael Machosky, Regatta revs up for return of Grand Prix racing, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 2008-06-29, accessdate=2009-03-01]</ref> 2008 saw the return of F1 Power Boat racing at the Pittsburgh Regatta after a two-year hiatus following the 2005 festival.<ref name="trib1" /> 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.<ref>[http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04187/342018-53.stm Marylynne Pitz, New-look Regatta ends in a splash of fireworks, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2004-07-05, accessdate=2009-03-01]</ref> The festival is the largest inland regatta in the United States,<ref name="attendance">[http://www.allbusiness.com/services/amusement-recreation-services/4585336-1.html 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]</ref> drawing tens of thousands of fans along the Allegheny River. The F1 race course consists of a 4-pin 1.25 mile (2 km) course.<ref>[http://www.champboat.com/content/view/41/29/ The Official Site of F1 ChampBoat Racing: Jul 3-4 Pittsburgh, PA, accessdate=2009-03-01]</ref> In 2008, the Pittsburgh regatta F1 ChampBoat race was nationally broadcast on the Speed Channel.<ref>[http://www.wpxi.com/news/16510257/detail.html City's Enthusiasm Over Three Rivers Regatta Grows, WPXI Pittsburgh, 2008-06-05, accessdate=2009-03-01]</ref>
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== [[File:Pittsburgh skyline regatta.jpg|thumb|right|Festival crowd at Point State Park with the downtown Pittsburgh skyline in the background]] thumb|right|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.<ref name="attendance" />
==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. A 7-year-old boy was killed, and 24 were injured.<ref>[http://edexpert.com/RevisedArticles07/The%20Three%20Rivers%20Regatta%20Accident.pdf] The Three Rivers Regatta Accident: An EMS Perspective</ref> 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.
== The Kinks == On August 7, 1993, The Kinks were playing in the nearby I.C. Light Amphitheater. After contending with noises from the regatta, and particularly a firework set, lead singer Ray Davies improvised a song called "Regatta My Ass".<ref>{{Cite web |last=hanspostcard |date=2017-06-21 |title=SIR RAY DAVIES -THE KINKS- 73 TODAY |url=https://slicethelife.com/2017/06/21/sir-ray-davies-the-kinks-73-today/ |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=slicethelife |language=en}}</ref>
==Results==
===1979=== Held August 11 & 12 and hosted the "Mid-America Sternwheeler Race" with finishing line being the Smithfield Street Bridge.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=P2FhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RlwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5616%2C3621709 The Pittsburgh Press – Google News Archive Search<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QmFhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RlwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6985%2C5696516 The Pittsburgh Press – Google News Archive Search<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
===2008=== {| class="wikitable" ! Place !! boat number !! pilot !! team !! hometown !! points |- | 1 || 42 || Shaun Torrente || Grand Prix Boats GLBC || Homestead, FL || 400 |- | 2 || 16 || Tim Seebold || Bud Light Team Seebold || Osage Beach, Missouri|| 380 |- | 3 || 10 || Terry Rinker || Rinker/Amsoil Racing || Tampa, FL|| 360 |- | 4 || 38 || Jeff Shepherd || Shepherd Construction || Woodlawn, TN|| 350 |- | 5 || 17 || Brian Venton || Jenkinson Telecom/Hancock Inc. || Bowmanville, ON || 340 |- | 6 || 41 || Randy Rinker || Rinker/Amsoil Racing || Syracuse, Indiana || 330 |- | 7 || 72 || Lynn Simburger || Playcraft Boats || Elsah, Illinois || 320 |- | 8 || 88 || Billy Joule || B&B / Joule Marine Transport || Tiera Verde, FL|| 310 |- | 9 || 1 || Nithat Kunjeng || Singha Beer || Thailand || 300 |- | 10 || 8 || Mark Johnson || Pur Sang Engineering || Jaffrey, NH || 290 |- | 11 || 6 || Matt Sadl || XG-AD.COM/Massageluxe.com || Pacific, MO || 280 |}
==Cancellations== On July 30, 2019, board members of the Three Rivers Regatta announced that the Regatta, scheduled for August 2 to 4 2019, would not be held, citing the failure of the event's promoter to obtain necessary permits and insurance, as well as the money it still owed from earlier Regattas to, among others, the state of Pennsylvania for the use of Point State Park, and both the city of Pittsburgh and the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office for providing security.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Silver |first1=Jonathan |title=Three Rivers Regatta canceled; board and city officials blame event promoter |url=https://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2019/07/30/eqt-three-rivers-regatta-problems-wayne-fontana-lionheart-event-group-pittsburgh/stories/201907300080 |website=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |access-date=13 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Klimovich Harrop |first1=Joanne |last2=Bauder |first2=Bob |title=Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Regatta canceled amid money, insurance concerns |url=https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/three-rivers-regatta-canceled/ |website=Trib Live |date=30 July 2019 |publisher=Trib Total Media |access-date=13 July 2021}}</ref> Bankruptcy hearings for the event's promoter continued into 2020,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Davidson |first1=Tom |title=Pittsburgh regatta promoter testifies his business was a 'sinking ship' |url=https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/pittsburgh-regatta-promoter-testifies-his-business-was-a-sinking-ship/ |website=Trib Live |date=9 March 2020 |publisher=Trib Total Media |access-date=13 July 2021}}</ref> and the Regatta was also cancelled for 2020<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shumway |first1=John |title=No Chesney, No Regatta, No Fireworks: Coronavirus Pandemic Stealing Pittsburgh's Summer Fun |url=https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2020/06/26/coronavirus-stealing-summer-fun-pittsburgh/ |website=CBS Local Pittsburgh |date=26 June 2020 |publisher=Viacom CBS |access-date=13 July 2021}}</ref> and 2021.<ref>{{cite web |last1=McGrane |first1=Suzie |title=Fun On The River at the Annual Three Rivers Regatta |url=https://www.visitpittsburgh.com/blog/three-rivers-regatta/ |website=Visit Pittsburgh |date=30 March 2021 |access-date=13 July 2021}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category}} * [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnbsUNe4KpVqr_4aMHUXXE0n3qwnTZ7PO Eleven Videos of Three Rivers Regatta Races] * [http://www.yougottaregatta.org Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta] * [http://www.champboat.com F1 ChampBoat Series] {{Pittsburgh sports}}
Category:Motorboat races Category:Sports in Pittsburgh Category:Festivals in Pittsburgh Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1977 Category:Tourist attractions in Pittsburgh