43rd Annual Regatta Opens Saturday

Fireworks Back to Labor Day Night

by John Lipez

LOCK HAVEN—If you have access to a copy of the Polish national anthem, longtime Lock Haven Area Jaycees volunteer Scott Johnson could use your help.

The 43rd annual Lock Haven Area Jaycees Regatta is set for the upcoming Labor Day weekend and this year’s edition has an international flavor, the three days of boat races seeing a first entrant from Poland.

Johnson, Regatta race and public relations chairperson, said he needs the Polish anthem as part of the Regatta opening ceremony this Saturday.

Over 200 boats are expected for the three days of racing, the pilots and boats again coming from the United States and Canada.

But Johnson said the appearance by Poland’s Cezary Strumruk will be a Regatta first.

Johnson said Strumruk learned of the magnitude of the Lock Haven races during a visit earlier this summer to the national hydroplane championships in upstate New York.

Strumruk and a mechanic plan to return to the U.S. for the Regatta.

Johnson said there will again be “world class racing” on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Monday, Labor Day, from 10 a.m. to mid-afternoon.

The North American championships will be decided in three classes:

500 modified runabouts; 250 modified hydroplanes; and 350 modified hydroplanes.

A major race, the annual “Dash for Cash” will occur around noon on Sunday. Johnson said the prize pool, thanks to the support of local sponsors, will be the largest ever in the winner-take-all competition.

He said two dozen boats are expected in the dash, which means as many as 12 boats could be participating in the qualifying heats at one time.

The event is billed as the second largest such event in the country and the largest permanent venue event in the U.S. as the larger nationals are held at rotating sites.

One significant change this year is a return of the fireworks display to Monday night at 9:30. In recent years the fireworks were set off on Sunday, but Johnson said that meant Monday was a “ghost town” for the Jaycees; he said the organization needs three good days of commercial support so the Jaycees can “continue the good things the organization does for the community.”

Johnson said the Regatta, which attracts tens of thousands to Lock Haven each Labor Day weekend, will again feature three days of boat racing, a midway filled with arts and crafts, and free music all three days.

He noted there is no admission charge for the Regatta and encouraged everyone to mark the end of summer celebration by eating a Jaycees hot sausage sandwich.

An unabashed Regatta supporter, Johnson cited Jaycee support for the community all year long and stressed the importance of a successful Regatta towards those efforts. “We’re privileged to hold such a special event to close out the summer and we hope the entire community enjoys our efforts.”