MUSCATINE, Iowa — More than 120 participants have already signed up to bring boats to the third annual That Was Then This is Now boat show, and event organizer David Moritz of Wilton hopes to get even more.

The event, which will be held Friday-Sunday, May 15-17, on Muscatine’s riverfront, is an opportunity for visitors to view classic and new boats and experience high-speed racers on the water during a racing-boat exhibition.

People can still register  for the Cardboard Boat Regatta, paddle boat races, custom and classic motorcycle and car show, and  enter into the exhibition or boat show.

“It’s free and we want to see as many people sign up as possible,” Moritz said, adding that prizes are awarded.

Corporate and business sponsorships provide funding for the event.

Cash prizes will be awarded in multiple categories for winners of the Cardboard Boat Regatta and the fastest time for the open class in the paddle boat race.

There is no sign up deadline but Moritz prefers that people sign up ahead of time to keep lines down at the gate.

Also, persons entering custom and antique cars and motorcycles can send in a photo to have it put on the Web site.

“It’s a show and shine. It’s not judged,” he said of boat, motorcycle and car shows.

Moritz challenges businesses to build a cardboard boat to race against another team or another department from their office in the Cardboard Boat Regatta.

For those who don’t want to build their own boat, Moritz said people can challenge another team to a paddle

boat race. Paddle boats are provided.

He would also like to see more local custom cars and motorcycles on display to highlight the local interest in those vehicles.

What’s new

Ken Warby, who bills himself as “The fastest man on water,” is an Australian motorboat racer who will be at the boat show Saturday and Sunday. Warby holds the world record for fastest speed on water for reaching a speed of 317.596 mph that he set in 1977.

“He’ll have a flat-bottom boat — not his world’s fastest boat — but it is also a high-powered boat and he will be signing autographs and families can meet him,” Moritz said.

Also new to the boat show will be the Bandag Bandit race truck. In 1988, Muscatine’s Marty Carver set a new world land speed record in the truck’s class at more than 150 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The Bandit is a 1978 customized, eight-ton Kenworth truck that’s about 25-feet long and 11-feet high.

The Century Boat Club will also add to the number of participants when they hold their 26th National Century Boat Club Roundup in Muscatine that weekend.

The past two years, Mother Nature hasn’t been very friendly during the boat show. In 2007 it was too windy for the boats to go full-throttle during the power boat exhibition on the Mississippi River and in 2008 the water was too high for them to take to the river at all.

“All we can do is hope for the best,” Moritz said of his optimism for good weather.

Moritz wants visitors to experience the speed of boats zipping past Riverfront Park at 150 mph, but he also wants the experience to be a time for families to come together and enjoy the outdoors and the spirit of motor sports.

More Info

For more information about the That Was Then This is Now boat show exhibition contact Moritz at 563-260-1970 or moritzdavid@stanleygroup.com. To view a schedule or sign up for an event or show go to http://www.muscatineboatshow.com/