Durham Boat Company carries four main lines of BBG racing shells:

History of BBG Bootsbau Berlin Racing Shells: Although BBG can trace it's origin back to Claus Engelbrecht in 1890 the company is remembered as the former VEB Yachtwerft Berlin, as it was first renamed in 1956 as a GDR state owned enterprise with many factories and diverse production of vessels of all kinds. It was in the seventies that they built the first composite rowing shells consisting of a gray epoxy/glass fiber hull and wood framework. The top teams of the Eastern Bloc countries successfully raced these boats. Because of the racing success of DDR crews using VEB boats the state strongly supported development of new materials and testing of new hull shapes to a level never seen before or since in any country. At the 1976 Montreal Olympics, 9 of the 16 gold medals in rowing were won by crews using VEB boats. By reunification in 1990 over 15,000 boats had been produced at a rate of over 460 per year. By that time crews using VEB Berlin Yachtwerft boats had won over 580 medals in World Championships and Olympic competitions. Now just about every Western boat builder had copied the lines and offered "VEB" hull shapes.

The company was then renamed BBG Bootsbau Berlin. The record number of Gold Medals won by crews from all countries using genuine BBG Bootsbau Berlin hulls or copies continues to grow each year at World Championships and Olympic competition. In 2002 at the Olympic Games in Sydney a number of finalists from Germany and other countries chose genuine BBG Bootsbau Berlin boats, in fact the only two German boats to win Gold Medals - the Woman's Double and Quad won using BBG Bootsbau Berlin boats. In 2001, at the World Rowing Championships, the German Women again repeated with gold in the 2x and 4x and received a gold medal in the 4x in 2002. In the Olympics in 2004 the Germans (blue 4x) were 1st in the Women's Quad Event outfitted with some Dreher carbon rigging parts.

If you counted the other Olympic winners using copies of BBG hull shapes by other manufactures you quickly come to the conclusion that no faster hull shape exists! Today BBG boats are recognized for their exceptional workmanship, surface finish, and overall quality. They are ISO 9001 certified boat builders. Durham Boat Company, Inc. is proud to be their exclusive partner in marketing to North American customers. DBC has in the past sold BBG carbon riggers and some carbon seats for their top line boats and continues to equip the top line "Olympia" boats sold in North America with carbon riggers, seats and foot stretchers. DBC provides service, spare parts, and repair at our shop in Durham, NH.

Olympic Gold Medalists in the Women's 4x in 2004 Using A BBG Shell
Peter Ording Winning the World Championship in a BBG Olympia "X" Single