Madison Regatta

The Indiana Governor's Cup (more commonly known as the Madison Regatta) is an H1 Unlimited hydroplane boat race held annually on Independence Day weekend on the Ohio River in Madison, Indiana. Madison has hosted the Madison Regatta annually since 1951, although the race was also contested in the 1930s. The race inspired a Hollywood motion picture released in 2005, titled Madison which starred actor Jim Caviezel.The Regatta was part of the APBA Gold Cup in 1979 and 1980.

MainSource Bank Madison Regatta Presented by Belterra Casino
Featuring the H1 Unlimited Racing Series and the Brett Hunter Air Show
Event information
TypeH1 Unlimited hydroplane boat race
Race areaOhio River, Madison, Indiana
DatesJuly 1-3
Sponsor
  • MainSource Bank (Title sponsor)
  • Belterra Casino Resort (Presenting sponsor)
Distance2.5 mi (4 km)
Media coverageESPN3[1]
WORX-FM
First race1950
Websitewww.madisonregatta.com

History

Informal racing took place in Madison, Indiana as early as 1911. But the first major race didn't occur until 1929. That was when the now-defunct Mississippi Valley Power Boat Association conducted a race for the 725 Cubic Inch Class, which evolved into the Unlimited Class after World War II. The MVPBA conducted the Webb Trophy at Madison in 1930. The Webb Trophy was the MVPBA equivalent of the APBA Gold Cup—their top award.

The 725s raced at Madison throughout the 1930s until the disastrous Ohio River flood of 1937 and World War II brought down the curtain for a while.

The current series of regattas in Madison began in 1949. This was a "wildcat" race, administered by the Ohio Valley Motor Boat Racing Association of Cincinnati. The largest class present was the 225 Cubic Inch Class.

The first Unlimited race took place in 1950. The Unlimited races at Madison from 1950 to 1953 were one-heat multi-class free-for-all affairs. They didn't count for National High Points.

The first High Points Unlimited race at Madison occurred in 1954. This came about largely through the efforts of Madison Courier columnist Phil Cole. (A High Points Unlimited race must be scheduled for a minimum of two heats with at least four boats making a legal start.)

Madison had an uninterrupted string of High Points Unlimited races every year from 1954 through 2012. The 2013 races were canceled because of flooding on the Ohio that covered the pit area, although the land-based events associated with the regatta went on as scheduled.[2]

The Madison committee is the longest continuously active Unlimited committee in the country. Madison Regatta, Inc. (formerly the Madison Boat Club) has hosted the Unlimiteds every year since 1950 (except in 2013 and 2015 because of river conditions). Seattle didn't start until 1951. Detroit has been on the circuit since 1946, but with four different committees.

A total of 54 major Unlimited races (excluding the free-for-all races) have been run at Madison since 1954.

List of Madison Regatta winners
2008 winner FormulaBoats.com
Year Driver Boat
1951 Marion Cooper Hornet
1952 Burnett Bartley Wildcatter
1953 Burnett Bartley Wildcatter
1954 Bill Cantrell Gale IV
1955 Danny Foster Tempo VII
1956 Fred Alter Miss US I
1957 Jack Regas Hawaii Kai III
1958 Don Wilson Miss US I
1959 Ron Musson Hawaii Kai III
1960 Bill Muncey Miss Thriftway
1961 Bill Muncey Miss Century 21
1962 Bill Muncey Miss Century 21
1963 Bill Brow Miss Exide
1964 Chuck Thompson Tahoe Miss
1965 Chuck Thompson Tahoe Miss
1966 Mira Slovak Tahoe Miss
1967 Billy Schumacher Miss Bardahl
1968 Billy Schumacher Miss Bardahl
1969 Dean Chenoweth Myr's Special
1970 Dean Chenoweth Miss Budweiser
1971 Jim McCormick Miss Madison
1972 Bill Muncey Atlas Van Lines
1973 Mickey Remund Pay 'n Pak
1974 George Henley Pay 'n Pak
1975 George Henley Pay n'Pak
1976 Bill Muncey Atlas Van Lines
1977 Eric Godfrey Miss Budweiser
1978 Bill Muncey Atlas Van Lines
1979 Bill Muncey Atlas Van Lines
1980 Dean Chenoweth Miss Budweiser
1981 Dean Chenoweth Miss Budweiser
1982 Tom D'Eath The Squire Shop
1983 Jim Kropfeld Miss Budweiser
1984 Chip Hanauer Atlas Van Lines
1985 Steve Reynolds Miss 7-Eleven
1986 Chip Hanauer Miller American
1987 Jim Kropfield Miss Budweiser
1988 Scott Pierce Mr. Pringle's
1989 Jim Kropfield Miss Budweiser
1990 Chip Hanauer Miss Circus Circus
1991 Mark Evans American Spirit
1992 Chip Hanauer Miss Budweiser
1993 Chip Hanauer Miss Budweiser
1994 Chip Hanauer Miss Budweiser
1995 Mark Tate Smokin' Joe's
1996 Mark Tate Smokin' Joe's
1997 Dave Villwock Miss Budweiser
1998 Dave Villwock Miss Budweiser
1999 Chip Hanauer Miss Pico
2000 Dave Villwock Miss Budweiser
2001 Steve David Oh Boy! Oberto
2002 Nate Brown Miss Elam Plus
2003 Dave Villwock Miss Budweiser
2004 Dave Villwock Miss Budweiser
2005 J.W. Myers Miss Elam Plus
2006 Dave Villwock Miss Elam Plus
2007 Dave Villwock Miss Elam Plus
2008 Jeff Bernard Formulaboats.com
2009 Dave Villwock Miss Elam Plus
2010 Steve David Oh Boy! Oberto/Miss Madison
2011 Steve David Oh Boy! Oberto/Miss Madison
2012 Dave Villwock Spirit of Qatar
2013 No race; canceled due to high water
2014 J. Michael Kelly U-5 Graham Trucking
2015 J. Michael Kelly 1 U-5 Graham Trucking
2016 Jimmy Shane Homestreet Bank

1 H1 Unlimited cancelled the 2015 race because of high water and debris on the Ohio River where six of the 11 boats withdrew. A non-championship race was held instead with five boats.

References
  1. "ESPN3 Platform Headlines H1 Video Streaming". H1 Unlimited. h1unlimited.com. June 8, 2015. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  2. "Madison Regatta will not be rescheduled in 2013". Louisville, KY: WHAS-TV. July 7, 2013. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
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