World Rowing Welcomes Legendary Boat Manufacturer Empacher as Premium Supplier

Lausanne, Switzerland / Eberbach am Neckar, Germany – 26 October 2026

World Rowing welcomes renowned German racing boat manufacturer Bootswerft Empacher GmbH to its refreshed Supplier Programme as a Premium Supplier, marking a new chapter in the longstanding relationship between the sport’s governing body and the historic boat builder.

Few names in Rowing are as instantly recognisable as Empacher. With their distinctive yellow hulls, exceptional craftsmanship and decades of success at the highest levels of international competition, Empacher racing boats have become true icons of the sport. Often regarded as “Yellow Legends”, they have earned a reputation that extends far beyond their sporting achievements, symbolising a unique combination of engineering excellence, rich heritage, continuous innovation and an unwavering pursuit of performance.

Founded in 1923 by Willy Empacher and based in Eberbach, Germany, the family-owned company has shaped competitive Rowing for more than a century. From pioneering developments in composite boat construction to the continuous refinement of modern racing shells, Empacher has consistently combined traditional boatbuilding expertise with technological innovation and a close understanding of athletes’ needs.

Its international breakthrough came at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, when Jochen Meißner claimed silver in the men’s single sculls in an Empacher boat. At the following 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, an Empacher racing shell became the first plastic rowing boat to win Olympic gold. These achievements helped establish a legacy of innovation and sporting success that continues to define the company today.

Across generations, the distinctive yellow Empacher boats have become a familiar sight at the Olympic Games, World Rowing and European Rowing Championships, and other major international regattas, trusted by leading athletes and national teams worldwide.

Among those who trust Empacher is Germany’s Oliver Zeidler, the reigning Olympic Champion and four-time World Champion in the men’s single sculls. After claiming Olympic gold in Paris in 2024, Zeidler secured his fourth World Championship title at the 2026 World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam, further underscoring his status as one of the sport’s most accomplished contemporary athletes. His association with Empacher reflects the confidence that elite competitors place in the company’s engineering expertise, precision and commitment to performance.

While deeply rooted in the traditions and excellence of Classic Rowing, Empacher is also actively embracing the sport’s future. In 2025, the company announced a strategic collaboration with Spanish boat manufacturer Rubenetti, combining its longstanding expertise in high-performance racing shells with specialised know-how in Coastal Rowing. This partnership has enabled Empacher to expand into the rapidly growing disciplines of Coastal and Beach Sprint Rowing, including developing and introducing dedicated Beach Sprint racing boats.

This expansion represents another important chapter in Empacher’s history of innovation. With Beach Sprint Rowing set to make its Olympic debut at the LA28 Olympic Games, the company is extending its renowned engineering philosophy into new competition formats, demonstrating its ambition to contribute to the evolution of Rowing beyond traditional flat-water racing.

For a brand that has shaped the sport for decades, this partnership is a culmination of a lifelong dedication to the water. Reflecting on the milestone, Helmut Empacher, CEO of Empacher, shared that “Rowing has been at the heart of our family business for generations, and we are proud that our boats have become part of so many remarkable sporting achievements.

“For us, building a racing boat has always meant more than producing equipment, added Empacher. “It takes understanding athletes, continuously improving our products and contributing to their pursuit of excellence. Our recent expansion into Coastal and Beach Sprint Rowing reflects this same philosophy and our commitment to the sport’s future. Becoming a World Rowing Premium Supplier is a natural and exciting next step in our longstanding relationship with World Rowing, and we look forward to further strengthening this collaboration.”

When a brand’s products become the very backdrop of the sport’s greatest moments, the partnership writes itself. Christian Osterode, Head of Broadcast & Marketing at World Rowing, highlighted this historic alignment.

“Empacher is one of those rare brands whose identity is completely inseparable from rowing. Their iconic yellow boats have helped define the visual landscape of the sport for decades, standing as symbols of precision, excellence, and innovation,” said Osterode. “But what makes this partnership so exciting is that, despite a century of heritage, Empacher is still pushing the boundaries—just look at their expansion into Coastal and Beach Sprint. We are thrilled to welcome them as a World Rowing Premium Supplier. It’s a natural fit, recognising an authentic, deeply respected company whose ambitions perfectly align with the spirit of our refreshed Supplier Programme.”

Empacher’s Premium Supplier designation forms part of World Rowing’s recently refreshed Supplier Programme, which features an enhanced Official Supplier tier and the newly introduced Premium Supplier designation. The programme reflects World Rowing’s evolution into a broader international sporting ecosystem encompassing Classic Rowing, Coastal Rowing and Indoor/Connected Rowing, while providing established and emerging companies with enhanced recognition, visibility and opportunities to engage with the global Rowing community.

Through its Premium Supplier designation, Empacher will benefit from an elevated association with World Rowing, enhanced recognition across selected World Rowing platforms and communications, and opportunities to further showcase its heritage, expertise and innovation within the international Rowing ecosystem.

About Empacher

Founded in 1923, Bootswerft Empacher GmbH is a family-owned German manufacturer of high-performance racing rowing boats based in Eberbach am Neckar. Internationally recognised for its distinctive yellow racing shells, the company combines more than a century of boatbuilding heritage with advanced materials, precision engineering and continuous product development. Its product portfolio has recently expanded into Coastal and Beach Sprint Rowing. Empacher boats are used by athletes, clubs and national teams around the world and have contributed to numerous Olympic and World Championship successes.

See: www.empacher.com

About World Rowing

Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, World Rowing (previously named FISA – from the French “Féderation Internationale des Sociétes d’Aviron) is the international governing body of the sport of Rowing. With 158 National Rowing Federation members, World Rowing sets the rules and regulations for the sport in all its forms, including Classic Rowing, Coastal Rowing, and Indoor/Connected Rowing. World Rowing also oversees Para-Rowing, sanctions events and works on coaching education and other matters relating to the sport of Rowing and its development. Through its international events, programmes and partnerships, World Rowing works to strengthen the sport and connect the global Rowing community.

See: www.worldrowing.com

 

Media Contacts

Bootswerft Empacher GmbH

Tom Hinrichs

Stellvertretender Vertriebs- und Verkaufsleiter

E: t.hinrichs@empacher.com

World Rowing

Torin Koos

Head of Communications & Media

E: torin.koos@worldrowing.com