Windsurfing into the future: despite light winds, Antoine Albeau nearly hits 100 km/h! (Video)

An epic day, minute by minute… Then the wind imposed a glass ceiling on us for the year 2025!!! Respect, Mother Nature

All eyes were on Saturday, November 29… For potential new records, and perhaps to discover what Zephir Project has in store with this forward-thinking windsurfing project.

It was finally billed as the windiest day of the entire month of November at this legendary spot in Lüderitz.

Check out the video here, filmed from a car with Olivier and the drone from Peter Davis Photography , as they watch Antoine during one of his many runs.

Together with Antoine Albeau and the Zephir team, we had our battle plan in place with a sequence of gear setups…

All the previous days allowed us to “fine-tune” and carefully select the best equipment.
Of the 4,200 initial gear setups, only about ten remain, which can be used in sequence depending on wind and chop conditions.

This is part of our “Windsurfing into the Future” approach. We make sure nothing is left to chance.

The wind (almost) always follows the same pattern… Around noon it starts to pick up, with a very low angle (coming from the rear right for the riders).

It reaches a peak, but small waves can form and disrupt the glide.

After a period of calm, it can pick up again around 5:00 p.m., bringing record-breaking conditions.

More squared out this time (from the side), the channel becomes smoother, but the lateral pressure is more pronounced… and the choice of fin and sail trim is critical.

Our plan with Antoine for the first departures

Board #1, 40 cm wide, a bit bulky, with a 5.7 Severne Windsurfing sail and a 20 cm V1 prototype fin from Zephir—the UFO, developed in collaboration with engineers from our partner ALTEN.
Things are going well; Antoine is keeping pace with the top riders. Speeds are around 48–49 knots.

As the downwind wind picks up, Antoine switches to board #2, also 40 cm wide but smaller. He immediately takes the lead, averaging over 50 knots. He then chooses his 5.3 m² sail—the one for a potential record.

The wind picks up a bit more, and the water becomes choppy. Antoine decides to switch to our V2 fin prototype with its unusual shape for better glide and control in the choppy conditions…
And he puts on the streamlined helmet also developed with the engineers of ALTEN.

His times are soaring, with two runs where you can feel that the perfect balance and glide are right there, within reach of the wishbone… 52.25 over 500m!!! ?

An average of 51.45 knots over 500m, then a stunning 52.25 with a peak of 53.60 knots.

His V2 fin, designed to combat cavitation issues, is doing the job. And Antoine has clearly mastered these controlled-cavitation profiles, straight out of computer simulations.

The competitors are all capped at 50 knots, 2 knots behind Antoine! Who, for his part, is just waiting to accelerate even further. Crazy!

Our scientific approach is paying off. “Windsurfing into the Future” is now a reality.

On these best runs, according to Antoine, the wind is only around 38–40 knots over the 500 meters. The best is clearly yet to come, with an additional 7–8 knots and the right wind conditions…

If only Nature would give us that gift!…

Antoine still has two possible upgrades for his gear. We chat live—maybe it’s time to put them to use, but also to show them off… A highly strategic move!

Then, within minutes, the wind becomes erratic, and the riders’ timings show large discrepancies between top speeds and average speeds. The water gets choppy… A direct Belgian competitor, Vincent, takes a hard fall after losing control of his fin—fortunately, it’s not serious.

All the competitors are easing off… Antoine stays in the lead

Antoine is completely calm. Everything is going perfectly. Waiting for the right wind, and the right angle too…

The wind picks up a bit around 5 p.m., but not enough to get back within striking distance of the record. The day ends with a review of the setup sequences. Antoine is in total control.

Naturally, there’s a bit of frustration, but deep down, we all gave it our all to better understand this harmony with the elements. Both on-site and back in France.

On this Saturday, November 29, Antoine will have completed 26 runs, just like in this video! Only the young and fiery Brendan will have done more.

At 53, it’s still commitment and meticulous work that pay off. There are no secrets.

BRAVO, ANTOINE! YOU ARE A TRUE ARTIST! AND A TRUE CHAMPION!

 

A huge THANK YOU to our partners:

ALTEN, BPCE Solutions informatiques, Bechtle, Severne Windsurfing, #UFO Ultimate Fins Original, Black Cobra Foiling, Nautix, Jonathan & Fletcher, Forward WIP, SBG Systems, CROSSCALL, Ansys, ADDL, Cadence …
Marc, Olivier, Pierre, Hermès

This technological and mental feat is particularly rewarding for all of us. And the phrase “windsurfing into the future” truly comes to life. The path is clear toward a future that embodies both top-tier performance and cutting-edge technology dedicated to creating more sustainable equipment.

Let’s get together to talk about it on stage and, of course, on the water with Antoine and Pierre. Our talk here

#ZephirProject #AntoineAlbeau #LuderitzSpeedChallenge #performance #innovation #speed #windsurf #recorddumonde #LuderitzSpeedChallenge #worldrecord #recorddevitesse  #projetzephir