Motorboats speed down rivers to bring in the Fourth

s competitors bring their crafts to the starting line, spectators sit up like prairie dogs and… As competitors bring their crafts to the starting line, spectators sit up like prairie dogs and emerge from their shady sanctuaries into the hot July sun to witness the power and grace of motorized competition where the Allegheny meets the Ohio.

By traditional definition, a regatta is a series of organized boat races, but Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Regatta practically bursts at the seams with entertainment, even for those who don’t find themselves nautically inclined.

The regatta, hosted annually at Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh and celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, also offers live music and entertainment, stunt shows and, in true Pittsburgh fashion, refuses to leave the winter behind with an imitation skating rink. The weekend of activities, which this year runs from June 30 to July 4, is also Pittsburgh’s official Fourth of July celebration and will set off the official city fireworks show on the Fourth.

According to its website, the festival attracts half a million people annually. Michael Dongilli, senior vice president of ISM/USA, the Regatta’s event managers, said that one of the most attractive aspects of the Regatta is that it’s all free.

“It’s a really great time that won’t take a hit out of your pocketbook,” Dongilli said.

Near the front of Point State Park, the main lawn is transformed for the weekend into a stage for musical performances. Food vendors and booths from some of the event’s sponsors, like 5-Hour Energy and the U.S. Marines, surround this main stage.

Walking back into the park, there is a giant sand sculpture of the founding fathers signing the Declaration of Independence and the artificial skate rink, called Point Skate Park. Beyond these attractions, spectators can see boat shows and races on the river looking out over the North Shore.

“I love that the city of Pittsburgh is using this park as a gathering space for its people,” said Pitt architectural studies major Joe Killian, who attended the regatta.

The Regatta kicked off on June 30, with mostly live musical entertainment. The U.S. Marine Drum and Bugle Corps performed, as well as local dance teams and musical acts that will stay through the whole event.

The regatta’s second and third day, July 1 and July 2, marked the start of the boat races with P1 Superstock races, an event new to the regatta this year. P1 is a type of sport racer that resembles the bill of a bird and reaches speeds of up to 70 miles per hour on flat water, according to the PowerBoat P1 website. But the event was put on hold on Sunday because of an engine fire on a spectator boat. Emergency resources and personnel had to be diverted away from the race and the second heat was delayed for an hour and a half.

This did not put off Martin Sanborn, managing director of P1 USA, an organization that promotes powerboat racing in America. Sanborn said that he hopes the P1 Superstock boats can return to participate in the Regatta again next year.

“I love racing in big cities,” Sanborn said.

On July 3 and 4, the Three Rivers Regatta acts as the North American championships for F2 and F3 Powerboats, also known as “tunnel boats.” This year, 24 drivers will compete for the title in boats capable of hitting 125 mph.

According to Dongilli, the regatta is not only the largest venue on the powerboat racing circuit, but is also the place where the racing event got its start in 1982.

July 4 will also feature the Regatta’s less professional but very popular Anything That Floats Race, in which contestants make their own quirky crafts and see who, if anyone, can get past the finish line first. Awards are also given out for boat qualities such as “Best Decorated” and “Fastest Sinker.”

The whole weekend is capped with a traditional Fourth of July fireworks display set to start at 9:35 p.m. on the holiday. According to Dongilli, this year’s show has something special in store because of the event’s anniversary, including special shells never before used in Pittsburgh that are scheduled to go off at the beginning of the display.

“Believe me,” Dongilli said, “you’re going to want to be in your seat for that first minute.”