We regularly feature our member clubs. This time, we’re staying in Hamburg’s south and presenting the club where our Para Rower Sylvia Pille-Steppat regularly trains: the Wilhelmsburger Ruder Club von 1895.

If Hamburg’s urban planners could start all over again, they would relocate the port north to Blankenese and Groß Flottbek, and the residential areas to the canals in Wilhelmsburg, Harburg, and Moorburg – in short: to the ‘Three Castles Land’. Because with its waterways, the island between the Norderelbe and Süderelbe is undoubtedly the most beautiful area in and around Hamburg.

Exaggerating? Then try rowing on the Elbe against the current, against the waves, and especially against commercial shipping. Or on the Alster, with hundreds of sailboats, stand-up paddlers, pedal boaters, and canoeists, not to mention the Alster ferries with their inherent right of way. Our Waters: Shallow waters with coots and great crested grebes

At the Wilhelmsburger Ruder Club, all 14 kilometers of our rowing area are locked, meaning neither tide, current, nor silting affects the enjoyment of rowing. On the Aßmannkanal, David-Jaffe-Kanal, Ernst-August-Kanal, and in the Dove-Elbe nature reserve, the water is calm, shallow, and sheltered from wind, and only a few day-trippers venture into our waters. For us rowers, this means optimal conditions. Especially ideal for beginners who want to get comfortable with the boat first, rather than the water. In front of our boathouse, we have a 1000-meter regatta practice course, and on the Dove-Elbe, we primarily encounter ducks, coots, and great crested grebes. A rowing trip on the Elbe islands is like a short vacation, from which you return refreshed to everyday life. *** Curious? Just take a look here!! ***

Our Club: Everything you need

The club has around 150 members, half of whom are active: adults and young people, performance-oriented rowers and recreational rowers who enjoy sports, exercise, and nature. Our boathouse stores over 40 boats, from single sculls to eights – we have it all. Our coxed fours are particularly popular; we use them to visit other clubs on destination trips or for touring. Because, as always in life, Wilhelmsburg also has an exit: through the Ernst-August lock, we can go directly into the harbor, onto the Alster, into the Elbe, and if necessary, even as far as Dresden and Cuxhaven.

Our clubhouse is open to all members and guests. Once a year, we host the Wilhelmsburger Rowing Regatta and the Wilhelmsburger Quadrathlon. The former is a 300-meter sprint regatta for everyone, with many rowing clubs from Hamburg and all over Northern Germany participating. The quadrathlon is a traditional event for our youth, consisting of swimming, running, slalom, and short-distance races, and it’s a pretty cool event.

Who can join us?

Of course, anyone who wants to learn to row. Whether young or old, everyone is welcome here. We have a small but active youth section. Anyone interested in joining should ideally attend youth training for their first visit. Adults meet at various times, but always on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM at the jetty. For adults, we offer a beginner’s course twice a year – in April and August. In recent years, most new members have outgrown their youth and are keen to pursue rowing as an ideal leisure sport alongside their studies or careers.

The monthly membership fee at WRC is currently €17.50 (students, pensioners, and unemployed pay €10.00, young people €9.00). Oh, and men and women are equal and equally welcome here.

Contact: Just get started

You can reach us via: https://www.wrc1895.de/ Email: info@wrc1895.de Address: Wilhelmsburger Ruder Club von 1895 e. V., Vogelhüttendeich 120, 21107 Hamburg