LOUISVILLE — High currents altered the course, but the Belle of Louisville beat its upstream rival to the finish line Wednesday in the Great Steamboat Race.

        In its first meeting with the Belle of Cincinnati, the Belle of Louisville regained the gold-painted elk antlers after losing last year to New Orleans' Delta Queen. The antlers are awarded to the winner of the race, which was shortened because of weather Wednesday.

Judge-Executive Rebecca Jackson (left) and Louisville Mayor Dave Armstrong (right) cheer the Belle of Louisville's victory. Steven Harper (center) holds the trophy. (Associated Press photo) | ZOOM |

        “In riverboat land, this is the grand prize,” Louisville Mayor Dave Armstrong said at the presentation on the Belle of Louisville.

        Last year, the Belle of Cincinnati, which is diesel-powered, won the inaugural Great Steamboat Chase, a six-mile sprint. The Spirit of Jefferson claimed that honor Wednesday, chugging past the River Queen, owned by a Covington company.

        Captains of the two boats bantered back and forth about continuing this rivalry.

        “We are going to challenge the Belle of Louisville to come to Cincinnati,” Capt. Alan Bernstein said.

        Belle of Louisville Capt. Kevin Mullen gladly accepted the challenge.

        “Any time, any place, we'll do it,” he said.

        Because of high waters, the 39th annual race started under the Big Four Railroad Bridge instead of the traditional Clark Memorial Bridge. The boats traveled upriver toward a seven-mile marker but made a sharp turn early and finished at the Louisville Water Tower. The finish was also altered because of water conditions. The race, normally 14 miles, was nine miles this year.

        Weather also affected the race in 1967, when the event was canceled because of high water.

        The race is part of the Kentucky Derby Festival, leading up to Saturday's race at Churchill Downs.

        The Great Steamboat Race, which began in 1963, has primarily been a contest between the Belle of Louisville and the Delta Queen, which was being dry-docked from January to August. The Belle of Louisville holds a slight 18-17 edge over the Delta Queen in the series.

        Both boats were added to the National Historic Register in 1990 and are two of six authentic paddlewheel steamboats operating on U.S. waterways, according to festival officials.

        Three other steamboats that have participated in past races have one win each: the Julia Belle Swain, the Natchez and the Spirit of Jefferson.
       

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