New Horizon Revealed: 27x World Champion Antoine Albeau Joins SEVERNE WINDSURFING
The speed king embarks on a new chapter that will reshape windsurfing.
The horizon has delivered its promise. Today, SEVERNE announces a partnership that will send shockwaves through the windsurfing world: Antoine Albeau, the 27-time World Champion and undisputed speed sailing king, has joined team SEVERNE.
A Legendary Decision
After an unprecedented 28 years with the same brand, Albeau’s move to SEVERNE represents more than a sponsorship change; it’s a declaration of intent from one of windsurfing’s greatest legends.
“Yes, it’s true that after 27 years, changing is a really monumental shift,” explains Albeau. “But in the end, every story has an end. I saw that Severne is progressing significantly with their development. They’ve been improving a lot in terms of performance these last few years. So why not join them? This will give me motivation as well.”
The Cedric Bordes Connection
Central to bringing Antoine to SEVERNE was team rider Cedric Bordes, whose friendship with Albeau spans decades of training together on the PWA World Tour.
“I always say that he’s part of my titles, my success as well, because he was a really important training partner,” Antoine reflects. “The fact that Cedric is in the Severne team, testing and developing, is really great for me because we are good friends. I think it’s going to be amazing to test together again and create the best equipment.”
R&D and Innovation Focus
What truly excites Antoine about joining SEVERNE goes beyond racing – it’s the return to active equipment development.
“I’ve been involved in development all my life. I was testing a lot with the designers, sails and boards, and this was missing in my past few years,” he explains. “To start again, to test the sails, to test the boards, to try to make the best, the best of the best, is really a target for me.”
Albeau will join SEVERNE as a rider and an R&D crew, working alongside Cedric Bordes and reigning World Champion Matteo Iachino to push the boundaries of performance across SEVERNE’s race lineup—from the Mach and Hydro to cutting-edge speed prototypes.
Breaking the 100 km/h Barrier
While Antoine may have stepped back from PWA racing, his hunger for speed records burns brighter than ever. Since breaking his first speed world record in 2008, no one has matched his achievements; a record he’s broken multiple times, most recently in 2024.
“Since 2008, when I first broke the world speed record, no one has beaten it. Next November, I will be in Lüderitz, and I hope that we are going to reach 100 km/h,” Albeau declares, his eyes firmly set on windsurfing’s ultimate speed barrier.
A Team of Legends
Albeau joins an already stellar SEVERNE roster including reigning World Champion Matteo Iachino, 42-time World Champion Bjorn Dunkerbeck, five times Wave World Champion Philip Köster, and legends Jaeger Stone and Scott McKercher.
“Matteo was one of my biggest competitors in the past few years on the tour, and we are good friends as well,” says Albeau. “I think it’s going to be amazing to be with him in the team, as well as Cedric, and sail together, compete together, and develop together.”
Interview with Antoine Albeau
1. Antoine, after 28 years with the same brand, this is a monumental change in your career. What ultimately led you to make this decision to join the Severne team?
📍 Yes, it’s true that after 27 years, changing is a really monumental shift. But in the end, every story has an end. I saw that Severne is progressing significantly with their development. They’ve been improving a lot in terms of performance these last few years. So why not join them? This will give me motivation as well.
2. One of the leading people in getting you into the Severne brand was Cedric Bordes. What is your relationship and history with Cedric?
📍 It’s true that it’s a long story with Cedric because we spent many years training together on the tour. I always say that he’s part of my titles, my success as well, because he was a really important training partner. The fact that Cedric is in the Severne team, testing and developing, is really great for me because we are good friends. I think it’s going to be amazing to test together again and create the best equipment.
2. What aspects of Severne’s technical approach to product design excited you the most as an athlete who has always pushed the boundaries of performance?
📍 I’ve been involved in development all my life. I was testing a lot with the designers, sails and boards, and this was missing in my past few years. To start again, to test the sails, to test the boards, to try to make the best, the best of the best, is really a target for me. It’s very important to have a new goal and create the best equipment. Joining Severne is really good for me because I’ve been talking with them for a few months now. I spoke with Ben Severne first, and all the other guys working with him, and we connected really nicely.
3. Beyond the competitive aspect, what personally excites you most about this new chapter with Severne?
📍 Joining Severne is really good for me because, as I said, I’ve been talking with them for a few months now. I spoke with Ben Severne first and all the other guys working with him, and we connected really nicely. They’re really interested in having me in the team, and I think we’re going to do something great. They’re going to push me the way I want, and we’re going to make nice sails and nice boards.
4. You’ve recently broken the speed world record again, proving your continued dominance. How does joining Severne match your ambitions to continue pushing those boundaries and possibly break that record again?
📍 Since 2008, when I first broke the world speed record, no one has beaten it. It has always been mine. I’ve broken it many times now, and the last time was in 2024. To do that, you really need to have serious people behind you, pushing you to the limit, making the best equipment, making exactly what you need for that. Next November, I will be in Lüderitz, and I hope that we are going to reach 100 km/h.
5. The windsurfing world has evolved significantly throughout your career. How do you see this partnership contributing to the next evolution of the sport, especially for the next generation of riders?
📍 It’s good that the sport has a lot of evolution. Windsurfing is not dying, and it’s a great sport. It’s amazing. I try to go windsurfing all the time, as much as I want and can.
6. You’ve been one of the leaders of windsurfing innovation for decades. How do you see your involvement in Severne’s R&D program shaping the future of Severne’s racing products?
📍 Actually, I will be working with Cedric and Matteo. Matteo was one of my biggest competitors in the past few years on the tour, and we are good friends as well. I think it’s going to be amazing to be with him in the team, as well as Cedric, and sail together, compete together, and develop together.
7. You will join a team of existing World Champions and legends on the Severne team. What perspective do you hope to bring based on your long career and achievements?
8. If we were to look back on this partnership five years from now, what would you hope to have accomplished together with Severne that would make this decision truly historic?
📍 If we look five years ahead, I would like to break a lot of records again, maybe win some world titles with Severne. That would be amazing. And just enjoy as much time as possible on the water.
9. You have won basically anything there is to win. What is your focus now?
📍 My focus now will definitely be speed. I’m working a lot on my Zephir project to achieve the World Record. My focus now is to go to Lüderitz and break the world record, and pass the barrier of 100 kilometers per hour. We’ll see what we can do in the Défi Wind as well. I would like to have a good result there, and why not win?
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Interview with Cedric Bordes
Cedric, you were instrumental in getting Antoine onboard with team Severne. Can you describe the process for us?
📍 It was really simple. We have a WhatsApp group with Julien Quentel and Antoine Albeau—a friend group where we speak about everything. And I knew Antoine was maybe looking for something new in his career. At the same time, with Severne, we launched new projects: a slalom foil board, and we were looking for a good solution to promote them. And then I decided to bring Antoine onboard because he can be the best ambassador. And yeah, he’s super talented, and everybody was happy at Severne, like the shaper Albert and the sail designer Ben. So it was a quick decision. Then I put everybody in contact, and they found an agreement. So now Antoine is onboard with Severne.
What is your history with Antoine?
📍 Yeah, when I started on the tour, I immediately got a good relationship with Antoine naturally. Before, he was my hero in magazines. And we trained together because, for him, it was perfect—because I wasn’t a challenger. And Julien Quentel also wasn’t at that time. So it was good for both of us. And like this, we traveled together for 15 years on tour.
How do you see Antoine influencing Severne development and the Severne brand in the future?
📍 First of all, when somebody joins the team, for me, it’s important to have a good relationship between everybody. Antoine is a super nice guy, super friendly. He also has a good relationship with Matteo Iachino, who is a Severne rider, number one, and Matteo wants to win some world titles again. So, I’m pretty sure we’re going to work together really well because everybody has a good attitude. And Antoine now is not competing anymore in the PWA, so he can have a different view from us, because when you are fully focused on it, sometimes you miss a point. So it’s good to have some different feedback and a different point of view.
You have been on the leading edge of Severne’s race sail development over the last few years. How do you see the equipment development in your years, especially on top of Matteo Iachino’s win in Guadeloupe?
📍 So, the victory of Matteo was amazing because he won three races out of three. And with three different sizes: nine, seven, and eight. This victory is really nice because it shows that we worked hard in the past, and especially last winter, we changed a lot on the sail, even if the skeleton of the sail is the same. We changed the head, the head opening, we changed the outhaul crew position. So, I was sure it was a good move to make, but you have to prove it during racing, and now that’s the case. For the future, you have to keep your direction, I think, with what you believe will be good. And for sure, you look around at what can happen, so you don’t miss anything, but at the end of the day, I think the Severne sails are a bit different from other brands, and that is really on display right now.
Antoine will join a team of legends on the Severne team. How do you think he will influence the brand?
📍 I think you can put Severne even more in the spotlight because the team was amazing before. Matteo Iachino, Philip Koster, Bjorn Dunkerbeck, Blanca Alabau, Jaeger Stone, and some others. So, with the name of Antoine, he’s going to add credibility to the brand, even if the products were good before he arrived. And with his help, we can even take the next steps.
