Will the Rochelais Antoine Albeau win his 26th windsurfing world champion title ? From Sunday, September 25, he participates in the Mercedes-Benz Windsurf World Cup, on the island of Sylt, Germany. One of the stages of windsurfing world cup. For the 50-year-old, this competition allows him to continue to practice this sport of passion.
One goal: the podium
“It’s an event that we know very well, with conditions that we can have in France”explains Antoine Albeau. The sportsman is confident. Just before the start of the Mercedes Benz Windsurf World Cup, his goal is clear: to get on the podium. “I was able to train well before coming. For now I’m ready. I prepared myself on the water, alone or with others, I did typical training”, he details. On the program for this week of events: slalom in particular, because the weather forecast looks favourable. But the medal is not assured : “It’s quite rough seas, so the race can be difficult. It’s going to be a good fight on the water”.
“This sport is close to my heart”
Despite his 25 world championship titles, Antoine Albeau does not want to stop the competitions immediately. “I’ve always done that, so it’s true that this sport is close to my heart”, he confides. “It’s the joy of sailing, of being alone on your board and being able to go where you want”.
The Rochelais has also launched a new challenge: the Zephyr project. The goal: beat the sailing speed world record, currently at 122km/h. And for that, he must continue to train, especially during competitions like these: “It keeps me active and in the news.”
To carry out his project, Antoine Albeau works with engineers: “We are trying to think about how windsurfing works and find a solution to go faster than the 100 km/h we are currently doing and get this record”. In parallel, the sportsman is always looking for partnerships to finance his challenge.