The Daily Standard
Story Archive
The Governor's Cup Regatta was run on Grand Lake from 1958 to 1970, usually as part of the Celina Lake Festival. The regatta was revived in 1995 with the last weekend in August the usual date, before once again being relegated to the history books in 2016.
CELINA - A group of Celina men are working to revive the once popular Governor's Cup Regatta from June 21-22, 2025, on Grand Lake.
Scott Anderson, a fan of motorsports who got his entry into the hydroplane racing while volunteering for the Governor's Cup Regatta starting in 1995, made the announcement on A.P.B.A (American Power Boat Association) Inboard Hydroplane Facebook page this week.
"There's been a lot of changes to the park since most of you were here last and same with West Bank road," he wrote. "There's a lot of excitement and we hope to have a great event. Please put us on your calendars to attend and help us put on a show. Will be adding more details as we move forward."
Craig Obringer on Thursday confirmed a committee consisting of himself and Anderson, as well as Jason Hines, Chad Schmitmeyer and Rich McNaughton, are working to revive the dormant race.
"All we have at this time is a date set," Obringer said in a text to the newspaper. "We are meeting on Monday to figure out more about the event."
The committee seeks the public's help to make their vision a reality.
"(We) want anyone and everyone that wants to help bring these races back to volunteer their time and assistance and we want everyone's ideas to make this race bigger and better," he said in a text.
The event, described by former longtime regatta co-chair Louis Schiavone as "Free Family Fun," brought fans and curious spectators to the lake to watch American Power Boat Association racing in different race divisions on a one-mile course on the west side of the lake.
Governor's Cup Regatta, a one-time area summer staple, ended in 2016 due to a lack of racers. A group of Celina men aim to bring it roaring back to life June 21-22, 2025, on Grand Lake.
Celina City Councilman Myron Buxton, who served on the regatta committee for about 12 years before it dissolved, welcomed the news.
"I hope it goes well for them, I really do," Buxton told the newspaper, adding he's passing along information and other things to the new group. "Hopefully they have a successful race."
The Governor's Cup was run on Grand Lake from 1958-1970, usually as part of the Celina Lake Festival. The regatta was revived in 1995 with the last weekend in August the usual date. The racing continued until 2012 when lake conditions prohibited competition and with organizers turning the weekend into a music festival.
"We had a few down years. The state closed it once because of algae, and then one year the water was a little low," Buxton said.
Racing returned in 2013 and ran in 2014 and 2015 before a decline in boats competing prompted the stoppage of the event of the 2016.
"People are smart enough to know you need four boats to have a heat race, and we weren't getting that," Buxton said. "We were getting two to three boats per class, and other races had the same problem we did - just not enough boats."
The regatta at its peak in the late '90s and early 2000s saw upwards of 50 hydroplane boats and 12-15 vintage boats over the weekend, according to Buxton.
"The racers like to come here. We had the closest (access) to the water as far as the people attending. They could watch it, and you could almost feel the spray coming off the boats," he said. "A lot of places, you don't have it that close."
The racers also were subjected to world-class treatment and appreciated the uniquely-designed trophies up for grab each year, he noted.
"The two biggest things right off of my mind is getting enough money to put on a good race," Buxton said when asked the keys to his erstwhile committee's success. "When we had it it took us about $60,000 to put on a good race. That's a lot of money."
The commitee was able to lock in numerous big sponsorships, among them one from Pepsi at one point, Buxton recalled.
The other element necessary to achieve a successful regatta is a large group of enthusiastic volunteers willing to help with an array of duties, including setting up, running and tearing down the event.
It also takes a tremendous commitment on the part of the regatta committee.
"We had roughly a core group of about … 14 to 15, and we worked at a meeting every month," Buxton said. "Once you hit about three months out, we went to twice a month and then the last month we met every week."
Meetings lasted two to three hours and grew in duration as the race neared.
But it was definitely worth the herculean effort, Buxton said.
At past regattas, thousands of spectators lined the lakeshore for the free, family-fun event for exhilarating racing action including the rooster-tail plumes of water and roars of engines.
The weekend races also included other attractions - motorcycle and car events, a 5K run, live music, games for children and food and drinks.
- The Daily Standard reporter Gary Rasberry contributed to this article.
