The past
will come alive as some of the best known race
boats of bygone eras return to Wolfeboro, for our sixth Wolfeboro Vintage Race Boat
Regatta. Wolfeboro is now a major stop on the APBA Vintage Race
Boat Circuit, and this summer's regatta expands to 4 full days, and includes
over 70
vintage race boats running demonstration laps on a
1 mile oval course on
beautiful Wolfeboro Bay.
In addition to seeing and hearing these unique and
beautiful vintage boats run, spectators are invited to view them close-up in the pit
area, at the Wolfeboro town docks between 9 and 4 on both Friday and Saturday. And to
keep the spectators informed of all the action and the history, hydroplane driving
legend Tom D'Eath will be our “Voice of Wolfeboro” this September,
backed up by grand prix hydro driver Marv Hart. They did
a great job at our recent regatta in
Rideau Ferry.
Like vintage car racing, there are actually people out there who run
their vintage race boats on APBA (American Power Boat Association)
sanctioned race courses, and participate in a very active
APBA Vintage Race
Boat Circuit.
These vintage regattas are run under the rules and regulations of the
Vintage & Historic Division of the American Power Boat Association (APBA)
and Tom Bertolini is our chainman.
This is pretty serious stuff, complete with surveyed race courses,
safety inspections, drivers meetings, crane launching and demonstration
heats usually of 5 or 6 laps. We do have fun, but safety is our main
concern, and our APBA Vintage & Historic Division has a great record of
running safe events
Again
this year, our Wolfeboro vintage
regatta
is scheduled for the weekend after Buffalo, and as many of you know, our Wolfeboro vintage regatta is held every other year,
alternating with Clayton, and we are becoming well known for our "flat water"
and lots of water time. In fact, we run vintage heats every half hour for two
full days. So if you wanna see lots of vintage race boats running at speed, you just gotta come to
Wolfeboro!
This
is is an APBA sanctioned, invitational
regatta featuring Vintage & Historic race boats. We want to run large heats
of all vintage classes, including outboards, large hydros, small hydros,
runabouts, flatbottoms, skiffs, gold cuppers, speedsters and large triple cockpit
runabouts. If you are interested in participating, please send an email
to Bill John
John1948@metrocast.net
Participants should
try to arrive on
Wednesday, because all the fun will begin on
Wednesday afternoon with
a cruise on Lake Winnipesaukee,
with our magnificent
triple cockpit runabouts
followed by a reception at our NH
Boat Museum. This will be a special treat for
all of our early arrivers ???!!!
Thursday will be a full
day of APBA safety inspections, registrations, boat rides, good friends and great food - a vintage gathering. Thursday will
also be a major media day, as the press and public are invited to
photograph the beautiful vintage race boats and talk the the owners
and crew. Plan on a full day on Thursday at the Wolfetrap, to
prepare for two full days of vintage action at the Wolfeboro public
docks on Friday and Saturday !!!
Then
on Friday and Saturday we will be running vintage heats all day
long on our 1 mile course, moved a bit this year, to
provide better spectator viewing from the Wolfeboro docks. As a special attraction, and to recreate the history of power boat
racing on Wolfeboro Bay back in the 1920’s and 1930’s, the opening and
closing ceremonies on Friday and Saturday will feature a heat of vintage
triple cockpit runabouts. There will also be a large contingent of
vintage outboard racers, along with the many classes of vintage inboard
runabouts, hydroplanes and Gold Cup race boats. Cranes will be setup in the
hot pit area to handle the hydroplanes, which must be
launched and retrieved for each heat. The cranes and the constant launching/retrieving
of the hydroplanes provide for stunning visuals, and we already have
eight
fire breathing grand prix hydroplanes registered. To watch the
action close up, the Wolfeboro
public docks will be open to the public at no cost to view the
vintage hydroplanes, gold cup boats, Jersey speed skiffs, speedsters and
outboards. The sights and sounds from
the Wolfeboro docks will be just magnificent, don't miss this exciting
event - it only happens every two years !!!
There are also social events open to drivers, crews and the public on Friday and
Saturday evenings, featuring
big screen video of all the action on the course that day, and of
course, lots of food and drink!!! We will be at the Wolfeboro Inn on
Friday evening for a huge celebration, and at the Wolfetrap on
Saturday evening for another huge celebration, awards, and final
Regatta wrap up. Please come join us, reservations are required and
tickets may be purchased by contacting our Registrar - Gerri Prusko
at 603-267-9075 or
gprusko@bookwormcorp.com
So mark your calendars and come join all the
excitement and fun at our 2009 Wolfeboro Vintage Race Boat Regatta on
September 17-19, 2009. The opening and closing ceremonies will feature
our elegant triple cockpit runabouts, and we will be running vintage
heats on beautiful Wolfeboro Bay all day Friday and Saturday.
On
Board the Winnipesaukee Belle !!!
For a $10 donation to the New Hampshire Boat Museum,
guests may view the heats from inside the race course on
the Wolfeboro Bay. This beautiful sidewheeler will go
out in the morning and in the afternoon and remain for
one hour – time enough to really experience the vintage
race boats at speed, but still allow flexibility for
your day’s activities. Tickets will be available at
Regatta Registration Booth at Cate Park – look for the
“Vintage Ride Boats” sign.
Vintage Race Boat Rides !!!
For a donation to the NH Boat Museum at the $100 level, a number of the
vintage race boat drivers will be giving rides in demonstration heats on
the course. The times for these rides are 12:30 PM and 3:55 PM weather
permitting. Racing life jackets and helmets are mandatory and will be supplied.
The ride boats will be designated on the docks with signage, and ride
tickets can be obtained at the Regatta Registration Booth at the docks.
Volunteers Needed !!!
Also, please be aware that an event of this size takes well over 100
volunteers. So please consider volunteering a little time and come join
all the fun at this grand celebration of vintage race boats. We also
need lots of patrol/picket boats to keep the spectator boats away from
the course, and would love to have a whole fleet of ACBS wooden boats
surrounding the course on beautiful Wolfeboro Bay !!!
For more info, or if your want to help out, please contact:
Chairman:
Registration:
Bill John
Gerri Prusko
Vintage Race Boat Shop
Vintage Bookworm
603-569-5824 (shop phone)
603-267-9075
John1948@metrocast.net
GPrusko@vintagebookworm.com
Wolfeboro Inn - walking
distance to Regatta - 10% discount for Regatta
participants !!!
Host hotel & location of
Friday evening social, featuring big screen video of all
the action on the course that day, and of course, lots
of food and drink!!!
90 N. Main
Street $155-235
per night Thursday
PO Box
1270 $185-275
Friday and Saturday
Wolfeboro, NH
03894 20 rooms
(800)
451-2389 Walking
distance from docks
(603) 569-3016
www.wolfeboroinn.com
Topsides B&B - walking
distance to Regatta - 10% discount for Regatta
participants !!!
209 S. Main
St. $129
Thursday
Wolfeboro, NH
03894 $175-195 Friday
and Saturday
(603)
569-3834 5
rooms
www.topsidesbb.com
Approx. ½ mile from docks
Dennis and Cynthia Schauer
A charming Bed & Breakfast
The Lake Motel - lots of
trailer parking
Box
887-L $114-129
per night
Route 28 (just south of downtown) 34
rooms
Wolfeboro, NH
03894 Approx. ¾ mile
from docks
(888) 569-1100
(603) 569-1100
info@thelakemotel.com
Dave and Karen Peterson
Lakeview Inn and Motor
Lodge
200 N. Main
Street $100-110 per
night
Wolfeboro, NH
03894 17 rooms
(603)
569-1335 Must
reserve Fri/Sat or Sat/Sun
www.lakeviewinn.net Approx.
1 mile from docks
Afton Inn B&B
31 Waumbeck
Rd. $129-179 per
night
Wolfeboro, NH
03894 4 rooms
(603)
569-4262 3
miles from docks
www.aftoninn.com
Paul and Debby Schmidt
Click here for our Wolfeboro Chamber of Commerce
Directions for travelers from the West and South:
Click
here for driving directions - MapQuest.com
- only 13 hours from Detroit ???!!!
90 East - New York
Thruway
90 East - Mass Pike
290 North/East
495 North/East
93 North to Concord,
NH
393 East to Epson
Circle
28 North to Alton
Circle
28 North to Wolfeboro
Vintage
Race Boat Shop
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