Historic Regatta Rhinpokal Köpenick

A Piece of Berlin Rowing Tradition

The Spree-Ruder-Club Köpenick e.V., with its boathouse at Wendenschloßstraße 404 in Köpenick (Treptow-Köpenick district), is one of Berlin's traditional rowing clubs. Here, at the confluence of the Spree and Dahme rivers in southeastern Berlin, club members and guests have been practicing rowing for generations. The Historic Regatta Rhinpokal is one of their most distinctive club events – a format that deliberately focuses on historic boat types.

The Boats: Clinker-built B-boats with Coxswain

The focus is on clinker-built wooden B-boats with a coxswain – four- or eight-person crew boats made not of modern carbon, but of overlapping wooden planks. This construction method shaped rowing until the 1960s and is now rarely seen outside of club collections and historic regattas. For the rowers, this means different weight ratios, different acoustics, and a different feel on the water. For spectators, it's a rare sight.

Venue 2026 in Rheinsberg

In 2026, the regatta will be held in cooperation with the Ruderverein Rheinsberg 1910 e.V. on the waters of Rheinsberg in Brandenburg. The historic boats are owned by several Berlin and Brandenburg clubs and will be brought together for the regatta. Travel from Spree-Ruder-Club Köpenick will be by land.

Club Festival by the Water

The regatta is less a top-tier sporting event and more a club festival: arrival in the morning, first races in the early afternoon, award ceremony in the late afternoon, followed by a party with music until late in the evening. Those living in Berlin who wish to see the clinker boats can contact Spree-Ruder-Club Köpenick in advance – the trip to Rheinsberg is worthwhile for rowing enthusiasts.