Here we are gathered for the most important event of 2006: the Sixth Annual International Online Steamboat Race. We are waiting at the finish line for the boats to come in. While we are waiting let's take a look outside the judge's box. We're in a lake community in Tempe, Arizona. This neighborhood, "The Lakes at Tempe," was built in the 1970s when Tempe consisted of the Arizona State University campus and a few houses. Everything around here was farmland. The water comes from a canal system, originally established as early as 600 A.D. by the Hohokam Indians. Hundreds of miles of canals deliver water from the Salt and Gila Rivers to all areas of Phoenix. They call it Phoenix because the city rose from the ashes of this ancient civilization. Beautiful homes and small craft line the banks of The Lakes. The community has a country club that includes an Olympic size swimming pool. While we are waiting for the boats, does anybody want to play a game of checkers? Here is our winning boat now! Oh, wait a minute. It's not actually a boat! It's Nori's condo sitting on the banks of the race course, with a view of the waterway. Attention everybody! We have received word that the winner of the race is the Steamboats.org crew in Germany: Franz, Carmen, and Leonie. Join us at Nori's place for the awards ceremony. Congratulations to the winning boat crew in the 2006 International Online Steamboat Race! They have the honor of displaying the new steamboat trophy on their website until the next race. A comment from our winning boat captain: "What a perfect year! Having met so many steamboat friends this summer, than eventually making it to Tall Stacks and now even winning the famous virtual steamboat race with steamboats.org. Can it come any better?" - Franz Neumeier Steamboats.com thanks the participants in this year's race: Franz, Carmen, and Leonie of Steamboats.org, Munich, Germany Jerry Canavit - no website, but still the world's leading steamboat historian and our judge this year, Paul Motter of CruiseMates.com, The Complete Online Cruise Guide and Community. return to steamboat race index