Dyckerhoff once again supported students in building concrete canoes with materials and expertise

At the 20^th Concrete Canoe Regatta organized by the InformationsZentrum Beton (IZB) on Lake Beetzsee in Brandenburg, a new record was set, with around 1,100 participants taking part. More than 170 teams from 50 institutions, along with 13 boats in the Open Class, paddled for victory on Lake Beetzsee in Brandenburg an der Havel. In addition to the traditional races, the construction, design, and sustainability of the boats were also key aspects of the judging.

Since the first regatta in 1986, Dyckerhoff has supported numerous teams with innovative binders, cements, and technical expertise. In 2026, many successful boats once again competed using Dyckerhoff materials.

DyLorean and 40 Years of MobyDyck

A special highlight was the anniversary project “DyLorean” by Hochschule RheinMain in Wiesbaden, dedicated to Dyckerhoff. The canoe’s name alludes to the famous vehicle from the movie Back to the Future while also referring to the long-standing connection with Dyckerhoff.

To mark 40 years of concrete canoe history, the team drew inspiration from the legendary winning canoe “MobyDyck” from 1986 and its historic Dyckerhoff D logo. For the new canoe, modern digital methods, sustainable materials, and Dyckerhoff White Cement STRONG were used. The presentation was complemented by the participation of the original “MobyDyck” in the boat parade, which remains fully functional even after four decades.

A Piece of the “Vienna Prater”

Particularly eye-catching during the Open Class boat parade was the floating “Vienna Ferris Wheel,” which won the Open Class category. It was designed and built by the Vienna Canucrete Team of Hochschule Campus Wien – University of Applied Sciences, which was supported by Dyckerhoff with a material donation. Dyckerhoff NANODUR® Compound 5941 was used for the concrete components, including the 3D-printed concrete elements and the UHPC components.

The First Sailboat with a Sail Made of Concrete

The Technical University of Dresden was also successful. Its sailboat “Excellent Guess” achieved second place in the Open Class. The canoe “Moby Dünn” was recognized as the lightest canoe of the regatta and won the construction category. With a length of 4.63 m and a weight of only 9.9 kg, it set new benchmarks. Among the materials used in the Dresden projects were Dyckerhoff White Cement STRONG and Dyckerhoff MIKRODUR. With the canoe “Kahnaletto,” the team also achieved third place in the design category.

The Idea: One Basic Shape – Two Boats

Hochschule Anhalt in Dessau based its canoes “Oskar Schneller” and “Walter Bootius” on a sustainable, modular concept. The projects utilized Dyckerhoff White Cements STRONG, FACE, and BLUE STAR. “Walter Bootius” was awarded third place in the construction category.

In addition, Dyckerhoff supported numerous other universities and educational institutions, including Münster University of Applied Sciences, Kiel University of Applied Sciences (HAW Kiel), and Koblenz University of Applied Sciences. The projects impressively demonstrated the versatility of modern concrete technologies and the innovative spirit of the next generation of engineers.

With material donations, technical solutions, and decades of expertise, Dyckerhoff has made an important contribution to the Concrete Canoe Regatta for four decades, promoting the connection between creativity, sustainability, and engineering.

Photo credits: Title image: IZB/Sascha Steinbach; Images 1, 2, 5, 8, 9: IZB/Sascha Steinbach; Image 7: Koblenz University of Applied Sciences; Images 3, 4, 6: Dyckerhoff