Belle of Cincinnati wins Steamboat Race

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WTVQ) – The Belle of Cincinnati barely edged the Belle of Louisville to win the Great Steamboat Race in Louisville Wednesday night.

This is the second year in a row the Belle of Cincinnati took home the coveted silver antlers.

Captain Alan Bernstein of the Belle of Cincinnati happily accepted the antlers and thanked both the Derby Festival and the Mayor for letting them participate in the event. “This is one of the greatest cities on earth. It’s always an honor and a pleasure to come down to Louisville every year.”

“The Belle of Louisville is always number one in our hearts,” said Mayor Greg Fischer. “Sometimes it’s just not meant to be, but we’ll be back next year.”

At the end of the awards ceremony, John Waggoner, of the American Queen Steamboat Company, issued a challenge for the 2018 event to have three boats compete in the river rivalry: “I’m building a new steamboat that will be like a sports car on the river. My boat can beat your boats and mine is still in pieces!”

The American Duchess is the newest steamboat being built for America’s inland waterways. It makes its debut in June of 2017 and is set to participate in the 2018 Great Steamboat Race.