Antoine Albeau Smashes Speed Windsurfing World Record | 53.49 Knots

Antoine Albeau has set another milestone in windsurfing.

The French athlete, originally from La Rochelle, achieved a new world record for the fastest speed over 500 meters, reaching 53.49 knots (99.06 kilometers per hour) during the Lüderitz Speed Challenge in Namibia.

Using a new 5.3 NeilPryde sail and a JP custom board from last year, the 52-year-old shattered his own record, which had stood for nine years.

Albeau’s previous best, set in 2015 at the same location, was 53.27 knots (98.65 kilometers per hour). This time, he edged past it by 0.22 knots.

His record-breaking performance recorded two different speed measurements: 53.71 knots from his GPS and 53.64 knots from the competition’s official device.

Final verification came hours later through the event’s video timing system.

“What a joy tonight to see my time and new windsurf speed world record validated after video verification,” said Albeau.

“The feeling was just amazing when they confirmed it.”

Reflecting on the moment, Albeau shared his anticipation: “I was expecting something like 53.32 knots, but when they announced 53.49, the gap was bigger than I hoped. It was incredible.”

He added that reaching 99.06 kilometers per hour was a thrill and credited his success to cutting-edge equipment, including a prototype JP speed board and a newly designed 5.3 speed sail.

The weather played a key role, with winds ranging from 40 to 45 knots.

Albeau is now eyeing his next target: breaking the elusive 100-kilometer-per-hour barrier, which is only 0.51 knots (0.96 kilometers per hour) away.

The 2024 Lüderitz Speed Challenge, running from November 4 to December 8, has been a stage for many personal and national records, making it a landmark event for the sport.

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