We are German champions in va'a

Rerik, 27–28 June 2026

At the 8th German long-distance championships in ocean sport, our Frankfurter Ruder- und Kanusportverein Sachsenhausen (FRVS) made history. As part of the Hawaiian Sports Festival in Rerik on the Baltic Sea, we put in a convincing performance across several disciplines.

With a gold medal in the mixed V6 and a commanding win in the single va'a, our team not only secured two titles but also underlined its leading role in German outrigger sport. The extreme conditions – heat and barely any swell – made the races a real challenge, yet the Frankfurt athletes showed class, stamina and tactical brilliance.

FRVS crew dominates over 22 kilometres

In the mixed V6 race, Florian Späth, André Niemann, Matthias Belitz, Lars Littfin, Christiane Pape and Gaby Dieckmann lined up for the FRVS. The 22-kilometre course led through the Salzhaff lagoon, around the island of Wustrow and back along the Baltic Sea.

The Frankfurt crew took the lead shortly after the start and pulled away from their strongest rivals from Duisburg and Prenzlau. Despite difficult conditions in the intense heat, the FRVS athletes kept the pace consistently high. At the finish they had comfortably defended their lead, winning our club its first German long-distance title in the mixed V6 outrigger canoe.

Individual races: gold and bronze for Frankfurt

Alongside the crew successes, our athletes also shone in the individual events. This year the single va'a (V1, without a rudder) was contested at the German championships for the first time. Florian Späth took on the challenge and dominated the 18 km race on a triangular course on the Baltic Sea. Despite the unusually flat conditions he used even the smallest waves to surf and moved to the front early on. With an impressive lead over Torben Kuhlmann (Duisburg) and Daniel Wesolowski (Zechlin), he took a commanding first place.

Christiane Pape also competed in the OC-1 over the same distance. She fought her way to third place in the women's classification, taking bronze behind Simone Ahrens (Hanover) and Lara Ehlis (Wuppertal). In the masters classification she crowned her performance with the runner-up title.

A strong signal ahead of the world championships

With two wins, a silver and a bronze medal and further top placings, the FRVS proved to be one of the most successful teams of the championships. The results are also a promising sign for the sprint world championships in Singapore at the end of August, where several Frankfurt athletes will once again compete on the international stage.

Results at a glance: FRVS at the 2026 German championships

• Mixed V6 (22 km) – Florian Späth, André Niemann, Matthias Belitz, Lars Littfin, Christiane Pape, Gaby Dieckmann: 1st place, German champions (mixed)
• Single va'a (18 km) – Florian Späth: 1st place, gold (open men)
• OC-1 (18 km) – Christiane Pape: 3rd place, bronze (open women)
• OC-1 (18 km) – Christiane Pape: 2nd place, silver (masters women)
• OC-1 (18 km) – Lars Littfin: 5th place (master 50 men)

Outrigger canoes, also known as va'a, originally come from the Pacific region. Their defining feature is the float mounted to one side, which gives the boat extra stability. They come into their own at sea, especially in moderate wind and swell.