Surfski Shack Athletes Conquer OC-Ostsee Cup in Downwind Conditions

WARNEMÜNDE, GERMANY – Athletes from The Surfski Shack made a strong showing at the OC-Ostsee Cup on Saturday, July 26, 2025, navigating challenging 10-knot downwind conditions with waves ranging from 0.5m to 0.8m. The highly anticipated surfski discipline saw 84 boats take to the water, featuring a field packed with world-class talent.

The men's race was dominated by world champion Gordon Harbrecht, who secured the win with a blistering time of 1:15:16. He was followed by Claas Gerhardt, currently ranked 9th in the world, at 1:17:51, and Nordin Sparmann, ranked 12th, finishing in 1:18:51. Notably, multiple world and Olympic medallist Max Hoff placed 7th with a time of 1:22:05.

In the women's race, Louisa Waltermann, ranked 15th in the world in singles and 4th in SS2 mix, claimed victory in 1:30:37. Katarina Milova from the Czech Republic, ranked 14th globally, finished second in 1:32:07, with Carla Strübing taking third in 1:33:06.

Surfski Shack Athletes Competing in the OC-Ostsee Cup 2025, From left to right: Mattea, Giacomo, Andreas, Matthew, Larissa.

The Surfski Shack competitors delivered impressive performances, with several athletes achieving personal bests and notable placements in a highly competitive field.

Matthew Schembri, 33, demonstrated his downwind expertise, overcoming a "shaky start" to overtake six athletes. He finished an impressive 15th overall and 14th in his category with a time of 1:28:11. "The race was a good race. I could have done with a better start, but once the downwind section started, I started catching people, ended up 15th," Schembri commented. He highlighted the "highly contested field with the Czech national team, and the German national team, and Olympic champion, called Max Hoff as well was competing. So it was quite a strong field." Schembri expressed his enduring affection for the race, having experienced downwind conditions in all four of his appearances. "Every time I've raced here with different athletes from The Surfski Shack and it's always been a great crew bringing good vibes and ready to help each other out which says a lot about the spirit of the sport."

At 65 years old, Andreas Bohnsack was the oldest competitor in the field, showcasing incredible endurance and skill. Bohnsack has positive remarks about his race "conditions were fantastic and I was catching runs all the way to the finish." He finished 40th overall and an excellent 13th in the over 50 category, with a time of 1:39:19.

Andreas Bohnsack finishing his race in style

Giacomo Maugeri, 31, celebrated a "fantastic result" in his first downwind race, finishing 52nd overall and 33rd in his category with a time of 1:50:18. Maugeri was thrilled with his experience: "The race went very, very well. I'm very happy. I managed to do my first proper downwind race. It was very well organized. The start was clear. The conditions were very good for someone with not much downwind experience like me, I enjoyed it a lot."

Nineteen-year-old Mattea Micallef had a strong showing, securing 9th place overall and in her category with a time of 1:44:06. She expressed satisfaction with her performance, noting, "I had a good start last year. I tried to keep up with a person who last year beat me by a lot, and this year I closed the gap and she still beat me, but the gap was smaller, so I'm happy about that." While she would have "preferred bigger conditions," Mattea acknowledged, "with ocean racing you need to be prepared for everything."

For 35-year-old Larissa Micallef, this was also her first downwind race, and she achieved a "fantastic result," finishing 13th overall and in her category in 1:59:50. Larissa found the race to be a personal challenge, stating, "I enjoyed, was just a race for me. It was just a race against myself. I'm happy that I didn't manage not to fall in and not arrive dead last. I was surprised that I managed to do it in just under two hours, I reached all my personal goals."

The Surfski Shack athletes not only demonstrated their competitive spirit but also the strong camaraderie that defines their team, making the OC-Ostsee Cup a memorable event for all involved. The club would also like thank Sport Malta for its financial assistance via the International Participation Scheme.