Windsurf News | Headlines and Top Stories

53.49 knots: Antoine Albeau sets a new world speed windsurfing record

2024-12-02T10:25:53+00:00

Antoine Albeau has done it again. The French windsurfer has broken the world record for the fastest speed over 500 meters.

The 52-year-old windsurfer born in La Rochelle, France, drove his sailing equipment at 53.49 knots (99.06 kilometers per hour) through Namibia's Luderitz Speed Challenge speed strip.

Antoine Albeau rode a new 5.3 NeilPryde sail and last year's JP custom board to break a nine-year-old record set by himself at the same venue.

In 2015, the sailboarder hit 53.27 knots (98.65 kilometers per hour). Now, he improved it by 0.22 knots.

Albeau's best run had two different speed records: one taken from his GPS (53.71 knots) and another from the competition's device (53.64 knots).

However, the world's fastest windsurfer had to wait a couple of hours for the official timing, which is extracted from the event's video system.

"What a joy tonight to see my time and new windsurf speed world record validated after video verification," expressed Antoine Albeau.

"It was just an amazing feeling when they gave me the time."

"The old record was 53.27 knots. I was hoping that I might just beat it by a tiny bit."

A Special Day at Luderitz

The turn of the month changed everything at Luderitz, and Albeau couldn't be more stoked.

"I was waiting to hear them say something like 53.32 knots, but it came in at 53.49, so there was a good gap between the records, and the feeling when I heard the time was incredible."

"I have come down a little bit now, but the feeling at the moment was amazing and unforgettable. I checked in kilometers per hour, and it was 99.06 kilometers per hour."

"I was on the prototype of the JP speed 40 from last year, the exact prototype of the board which is now the production speed board."

"I was on the new prototype speed sail that Robert made me, the 5.3, which is the new evolution of the EVO for next year. The sail was amazing."

"The wind was maybe around 40-45 knots."

The next goal is the 100-kilometer-per-hour barrier, which is "only" 0.51 knots (0.96 kilometers per hour) away.

December 1, 2024, was a special day for many other windsurfers who were also able to beat personal and national records.

Jenna Gibson also set a new women's world speed record in windsurfing.

The British sailor accelerated to 47.58 knots (88.11 kilometers per hour) and broke Heidi Ulrich's 2022 mark set at 47.16 knots (87.34 kilometers per hour).

She has also become the first woman to hit a two-second peak of 50 knots.

The 2024 Luderitz Speed Challenge runs from November 4 to December 8.

Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com

Olympic windsurfers Tom Reuveny and Marta Maggetti win gold in Paris 2024

2024-08-05T08:48:12+00:00

Tom Reuveny picked up a gold medal for Israel in the men's windsurfing with a phenomenal performance in the final.

Reuveny had not won a race in the Opening Series but saved his best for last by crossing the line ahead of the pack.

"I have so many emotions. I've put in so many years of hard work, and I had the perfect Medal Race," expressed Reuveny.

"I only had to win one race in this event, and I won the most important one. I knew I had to get a good start as Luuc and Grae are super-fast.

"I used what I learnt throughout the years and all the medal races that I've lost to make this one into a win."

The Netherlands' Luuc van Opzeeland and Great Britain's Sam Sills qualified for the semifinal race with fast finishes in the quarterfinal.

Van Opzeeland followed that up with another stellar showing in the semifinal, winning the race to qualify for the final. Reuveny was a close second, booking himself a spot in the grand finale.

"I'm pretty stoked about winning two races to get to the final. I had a bit of overspeed today. I managed to have clear starts and accelerate away," noted Van Opzeeland.

"In the first race, I rounded first, and then there was less wind for me than the guys behind me, but I managed to do a good laying there. In the second race, I managed to control the whole thing.

"I think the Netherlands has a very strong team, and we have sailors sitting at home who would have done fantastically here. That's the reason why we're so good."

The duo joined Australia's Grae Morris in the winner-takes-it-all-race, which Reuveny eventually mastered, soaring past the others to pick up a gold medal.

"That was an epic race, super fun. I was pretty nervous before, but the longer we waited, the more I settled and thought about what we were going to do," concluded Morris.

"It's going to be a while before we get to experience this again, and I think the wait made it worth it."

"I made a few mistakes and just tried to keep my head clear and take my next opportunity to do what I could."

"I took everything I've done, everything I've trained for, and put it into that moment. It could have gone better, but I'm super happy, so no regrets at all."

Gold for Maggetti

Marta Maggetti wrapped up a memorable gold medal for Italy in the Women's Windsurfing with a fine performance in the Medal Series.

Despite not winning a race in the Opening Series, Maggetti rose to the occasion when the pressure amplified to top the podium.

Peru's Maria Belen Bazo and China's Zheng Yan were the top two in the quarterfinal race and progressed to the semifinal, where they met Maggetti and Israel's Sharon Kantor.

The reigning world champion, Kantor, won the race and was closely followed by Maggetti, meaning the two progressed to the final to face off with Great Britain's Emma Wilson.

With the standings decided by the final race, Maggetti switched into gear and took the lead halfway through and did not relinquish her position, crossing the finish line ahead of the other two windsurfers.

"I'm so happy. I wasn't stressed today. After I finished the semifinal, I cried a bit, but then I focused and told myself I wanted the gold," told Maggetti.

"In the first lap, I was close, but in the third, I tacked for the mark before Emma and Sharon, so I did less distance on the race course."

"There was no public in Tokyo, no crowd, so the atmosphere here is different, and it's so nice."

Kantor followed to take silver, while Wilson got the bronze.

"I was a bit nervous, but it was an exciting situation. When I got to the final, I felt relieved. To get a medal for me is enough. I am so happy," said Kantor.

Wilson was frustrated. She dominated the Opening Series and fell in the decisive final races.

"I was ahead, made a mistake on the layline. I hadn't done a race yet, and the other girls had done a race, so they knew where the layline was, explained Emmal.

"I'll be proud when I get on the podium."

"The girls I race against are amazing. I have been racing Marta since I was eight, she's an amazing person so I'm really happy for her."

IQFoil at Paris 2024 | Final Races

Men

Tom Reuveny (ISR)
Grae Morris (AUS)
Luuc Van Opzeeland (NED)

Women

Marta Maggetti (ITA)
Sharon Kantor (ISR)
Emma Wilson (GBR)

It's medals decision time for the Olympic windsurfing fleet

2024-08-02T16:41:17+00:00

Grae Morris proved consistency pays off as he secured a medal in the men's windsurfing for Australia in Paris 2024.

Morris struggled at the start of the Opening Series, but managed to rally to climb up the leaderboard and eventually finish on top.

That means he automatically qualifies for the final race, where he will win a bronze medal at the very least.

"It's super hard being at the top and staying at the top," Morris said.

"It feels good now, but knowing that you have to pull off the next best thing tomorrow makes it a bit nerve-wracking, but it's all honest work."

"I does ease my mind a little, knowing that I'll be coming home with something in my hand, but I'm not fully satisified until it's over and the gold medal is still in play and that won't leave my mind tonight.

"It's not about winning every race, it's about being super accurate and staying in the top ten and minimising mistakes."

"It's not about completely dominating. It's about being a second in front at the finish, just like running."

Israel's Tom Reuveny finished three points behind Morris overall, closing out the day with a second-place finish in race 13.

He will go straight through to the semifinal race, alongside New Zealand's Josh Armit, who in turn finished three points behind Reuveny.

The remaining athletes that finished between fourth and tenth will go into a quarterfinal, and the top two from that race will join Reuveny and Armit in the semifinal.

Poland's Pawel Tarnowski, who finished fourth, said: "I think I lost a top three position in the last races."

"I stopped on the last mark before the finish, although I was going quite well in the top ten which would have given me a top three position."

"The quarterfinal is going to be tough for sure. It was very inconsistent out there today. I hoped for a better finish at the end of the day."

Wilson Rules

Great Britain's Emma Wilson secured a medal in the women's windsurfing by topping the rankings at the end of the Opening Series.

Wilson had another productive day on the water, starting off with a win that ultimately put her 31 points clear of the competition.

For topping the standings, Wilson automatically qualified for the final that will determine which color medal she gets.

"It's really cool to be guaranteed a medal for tomorrow. It's the best we can get in this format, so I'm really happy," added Wilson.

"I just took it race by race and believed in my training that I've done all year, for the last three years. Just to perform how I've done this week at the Olympics is pretty cool."

"I don't approach tomorrow differently. I'll have food and physio and come back tomorrow like I have all week."

Trailing behind the Brit was Israel's Sharon Kantor, who managed to place second in race 13 today.

Kantor will progress directly to the semifinal race alongside Italy's Marta Maggetti, who finished 21 points off Kantor.

"I still have tomorrow to race, which is a big day. I will continue being with my team, eat, drink, and sleep. I'm just waiting for tomorrow," concluded Kantor.

"We had to wait for the wind. We were next to the island. We did one race, and then the wind dropped."

"We then found some wind, but it was gusty and tricky. It was a long day. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow."

The remaining athletes who finished between fourth and tenth will head into the quarterfinal race that will open the windsurfing action tomorrow.

IQFoil at Paris 2024 | Results After 13 and 14 Races

Men

Grae Morris
Tom Reuveny
Josh Armit
Pawel Tarnowski
Luuc Van Opzeeland
Nicolo Renna
Noah Lyons
Sam Sills
Ethan Westera
Elia Colombo
Nacho Baltasar Summers
Sebastian Koerdel
Ching Yin Cheng
Johan Soe
Nicolas Goyard
Mateus Isaac
Rytis Jasiunas
Makoto Tomizawa
Jingye Huang
Jakob Eklund
Francisco Cruz Saubidet Birkner
Vyron Kokkalanis
Robert Kubin
Rami Boudrouma

Women

Emma Wilson
Sharon Kantor
Marta Maggetti
Helene Noesmoen
Katerina Svikova
Maja Dziarnowska
Maria Belen Bazo German
Theresa Marie Steinlein
Veerle Ten Have
Zheng Yan
Mina Mobekk
Palma Cargo
Mariana Aguilar Chavez Peon
Kwan Ching Ma
Pilar Lamadrid Trueba
Sara Wennekes
Ingrid Puusta
Merve Vatan
Natasa Lappa
Johanna Hjertberg
Lina Erzen
Dominique Stater
Lorena Abicht
Chiara Ferretti

Olympic windsurfers pass the halfway race mark

2024-08-01T10:34:19+00:00

Grae Morris stormed into the lead in the men's windsurfing with his best performance on the water so far.

The Australian started with second in race seven and followed that up with a first and second in two later races to edge to the top of the leaderboard as the Opening Series passed the halfway mark.

Poland's Pawel Tarnowski held onto second spot with two strong fifth-placed finishes at the start of the day, which puts him just a point behind Morris.

Israel's Tom Reuveny completed the top three with mixed results, but a valuable third and fifth were enough to keep him in the hunt.

"It was not the best of days," said Reuveny.

"I had one BFD in the first race and a pretty bad race in the last one, but the results seem pretty ok."

"I'm still in the mix. Everyone had bad races, so it's a hard fleet, and everyone is sailing very well."

Unstoppable Emma

Emma Wilson kept her cool in the women's windsurfing to extend her advantage at the top of the standings.

After the Marathon Race had to be abandoned due to a lack of wind, the British athlete responded with three race wins, putting her 19 points clear of the rest of the pack.

Israel's Sharon Kantor is Wilson's closest competitor, and she was also the only other windsurfer to win today.

Italy's Marta Maggetti retained her place behind Kantor with three top-five finishes, keeping her firm in the hunt for a medal.

"I'm happy about the last Slalom course," added Maggetti.

"A bit exhausted as well. I'm happy, I'm staying focused, and my results are pretty constant, so I hope it stays like this."

"I really want to get a medal, so I'm happy I'm still close to this."

IQFoil at Paris 2024 | Results After 10 and 11 Races

Men

Grae Morris
Pawel Tarnowski
Tom Reuveny
Luuc Van Opzeeland
Josh Armit
Noah Lyons
Nicolo Renna
Sam Sills
Ching Yin Cheng
Johan Soe
Ethan Westera
Elia Colombo
Sebastian Koerdel
Nacho Baltasar Summers
Nicolas Goyard
Mateus Isaac
Rytis Jasiunas
Makoto Tomizawa
Francisco Cruz Saubidet Birkner
Jingye Huang
Vyron Kokkalanis
Jakob Eklund
Robert Kubin
Rami Boudrouma

Women

Emma Wilson
Sharon Kantor
Marta Maggetti
Helene Noesmoen
Maria Belen Bazo German
Theresa Marie Steinlein
Katerina Svikova
Veerle Ten Have
Palma Cargo
Mina Mobekk
Maja Dziarnowska
Kwan Ching Ma
Zheng Yan
Pilar Lamadrid Trueba
Sara Wennekes
Mariana Aguilar Chavez Peon
Ingrid Puusta
Merve Vatan
Natasa Lappa
Lina Erzen
Johanna Hjertberg
Dominique Stater
Chiara Ferretti
Lorena Abicht

Wind picks up for the IQFoil fleet at Paris 2024

2024-07-31T14:21:56+00:00

Luuc van Opzeeland returned to his brilliant best as he maneuvered the windier conditions well to take the lead in the men's windsurfing.

The Dutch athlete struggled for speed in the opening race of the day but soon got into his groove, picking up two wins to move to the top of the rankings.

"The first race was a bit tricky for everybody, and I managed to get out of there pretty well," explained Van Opzeeland.

"The wind actually got pretty strong, so in the last race, I managed to lock in and bring it home. So overall, I'm really happy with that."

"I'm feeling good. I'm ready for tomorrow, and hopefully, I can put in another good show for you guys at home."

Poland's Pawel Tarnowski trailed behind in second with an extremely consistent performance on the water that saw him finish in the top five on three occasions.

Israel's Tom Reuveny completed the top three with efficient racing, which puts him just a point off Tarnowski.

"It was really tricky in the beginning. The wind was really gusty, and there were very big patches of no wind, but then it got quite breezy, so the main aim was to stay on the board," Reuveny said.

"I feel confident in my abilities in all conditions. I want to focus on good starts and tactics and try to do well."

"There's still a long way to go. The forecast for tomorrow looks good, so we should have a lot of racing. Anything can happen."

Wilson Dominates

Emma Wilson followed up her impressive opening day on the water with another dominant display in the South of France.

While yesterday she had to deal with light winds, today she proved more than capable of adapting to the windier conditions as she picked up three valuable wins.

Reigning iQFoil world champion Sharon Kantor also managed the unpredictable conditions well, moving Israel up to second overall with two race wins.

"I felt good. It was better than yesterday. I was just trying to find my level and continue," added Kantor.

"The wind was really not stable; it was gusty, and in the beginning, we did two Slalom races, and it was pretty difficult to be good in the downwind."

"But then we went back to the shore; we did three course races. The first one was stable, but the other two were gusty. Today, it was hard to find the focus, but if you found it, you were in the front, and I managed to do that."

Italy's Marta Maggetti held onto her place in the top three with a late surge in the Course races.

"It was hard today. I managed to finish three races in the top five, so I'm happy," concluded Maggetti.

"It was a tricky day. I had just one bad race. I'm a bit tired mentally."

"I had to think a lot about the gusty wind, which was really difficult. Tomorrow, I think there will be a bit more wind."

IQFoil at Paris 2024 | Results After 7 Races

Men

Luuc Van Opzeeland
Pawel Tarnowski
Tom Reuveny
Noah Lyons
Grae Morris
Sam Sills
Nicolas Goyard
Nicolo Renna
Josh Armit
Johan Soe
Ching Yin Cheng
Elia Colombo
Ethan Westera
Mateus Isaac
Nacho Baltasar Summers
Makoto Tomizawa
Jingye Huang
Rytis Jasiunas
Francisco Cruz Saubidet Birkner
Vyron Kokkalanis
Sebastian Koerdel
Jakob Eklund
Robert Kubin
Rami Boudrouma

Women

Emma Wilson
Sharon Kantor
Marta Maggetti
Maria Belen Bazo German
Helene Noesmoen
Katerina Svikova
Zheng Yan
Maja Dziarnowska
Theresa Marie Steinlein
Palma Cargo
Kwan Ching Ma
Mina Mobekk
Ingrid Puusta
Lina Erzen
Sara Wennekes
Veerle Ten Have
Mariana Aguilar Chavez Peon
Pilar Lamadrid Trueba
Merve Vatan
Dominique Stater
Natasa Lappa
Johanna Hjertberg
Chiara Ferretti
Lorena Abicht

Olympic iQFoil windsurfing kicks off in light winds

2024-07-30T09:31:07+00:00

Nicolas Goyard assumed an early lead in the men's windsurfing despite there being only one race on the water today.

All iQFoil races were postponed yesterday due to light wind, but the action eventually got underway on day three.

However, the men were only able to complete one race before persisting light winds prevented any further action.

Reigning world champion Nicolo Renna impressed initially, closely trailing behind Goyard to put Italy in the mix.

Denmark's Johan Bornemann Soe finished third behind them with a strong opening performance.

"I felt really good. I felt quick and physically ready. It feels good to be starting finally," said Goyard.

"We've been preparing for over six months and it's good to be out there finally and giving it my all. So I'm happy with how it went. I'm ready; I've never felt so good, so let's go for it."

"I'm really happy about the day. Let's hope tomorrow for some wind. I'm ready for the action," added Renna Said.

"You have to drink a lot out here because it's super warm. I'm going to try to stay in the top three and enter the semifinal. You need to be ready for the last day."

Women's iQFoil

Tokyo bronze medallist Emma Wilson opened her Paris 2024 campaign with two accomplished performances, finishing first and second to move to the top of the women's windsurfing rankings.

After two races today, persisting light winds prevented any further action.

Italy's Marta Maggetti made the most of her time on the water, banking two top-five finishes to edge to second overall.

The third spot was filled by Peru's Maria Belen Bazo German, who also managed to clock two top-five finishes in the early action.

"There were pretty light winds. I like every condition, but we've trained a lot in this condition and I just got off the start line well and had a good speed. It makes your life easier if you do that," stated Emma Wilson.

"It was nice to go windsurfing."

"It was frustrating [dealing with light winds], but it happens a lot. We have to have wind to go windsurfing, so it's just part of the game."

"I think we're going to get a bit more wind tomorrow, so that should be fun."

"We waited a lot yesterday, so finally, we raced today. I'm happy because I managed all my adrenaline, and I'm happy about the start. I'm super excited. I was feeling fast and mentally feeling good," added Marta Maggetti.

"It was really nice. I like light wind conditions. I felt confident with my speed, and it went really well," concluded Maria Belen Bazo German.

"I came here to enjoy this experience, and that's what I'm doing. It's going well on the water, but despite that, I'm trying to enjoy every moment."

"I just want to keep doing the same - keep calm and focus on myself."

How Olympic iQFoil Works

Medals for the IQFoil windsurfing will be decided by the cumulative results of the 24 athletes over 20 races.

The athlete with the lowest total will rank first.

There are three race formats: the Marathon Race, Slalom, and Course Racing.

Because it's a longer 60-minute race, the Marathon will be scored as two races.

Athletes will be able to discard their worst three finishing positions after they've completed 16 or more races.

At the end of the Opening Series, the top ten athletes will qualify for the Medal Series.

Those ranked fourth to tenth compete in a quarterfinal, with the top two reaching the semifinal.

They will then face the athletes that finished second and third in the Opening Series.

Two will progress from the semifinal, joining the top overall athlete in the final.

The three athletes in the final are all guaranteed a medal, so the finishing order in the final race will determine who wins what medal.

iQFoil: the 48 windsurfers qualified for Paris 2024

2024-04-29T11:22:50+00:00

The iQFoil class will make its Olympic debut in Paris 2024.

After a long reign that ran from Beijing 2008 to Tokyo 2020, the RS:X windsurfing says goodbye to the Summer Olympics.

The new Olympic windsurfing class is iQFoil.

The iQFoil is a high-performance, one-design hydrofoil windsurf racing equipment produced by Starboard that reaches 60 kilometers per hour (37.3 miles per hour).

The Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Competition will feature 48 windsurfers - 24 male and 24 female athletes.

The racing program will take place at Roucas-Blanc Marina in Marseille, France, from July 28 to August 2.

Athletes will have at least three opportunities to secure qualification for their National Olympic Committee (NOC) in the Olympic Sailing Competition.

Each NOC, in collaboration with its national sailing federation, establishes its unique criteria and schedule for choosing athletes to compete in the events for which the NOC successfully qualifies.

Quota Places and Qualifying Events

The complete qualification program for the Paris 2024 Olympic windsurfing competition involves the following events and criteria:

2023 Sailing World Championships

Eleven (11) quote places for the highest-placed NOCs (men);
Eleven (11) quote places for the highest-placed NOCs (women);

2023/2024 Continental Qualification Events

Six (6) quota places for the highest-placed NOCs from each continent (Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Europe, North America and the Caribbean, and Oceania) (men);
Six (6) quota places for the highest-placed NOCs from each continent (Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Europe, North American and the Caribbean, and Oceania) (women);

2024 Last Chance Regatta

Five (5) quota places for the highest-placed NOCs (men);
Five (5) quota places for the highest-placed NOCs (men);

2024 Emerging Nations

One (1) quota place for the highest-placed NOCs (men);
One (1) quota place for the highest-placed NOCs (women);

France | Host Country

One quota place (men);
One quota place (women);

Paris 2024 Olympic Games | Qualified Nations and Selected Windsurfers

Men

Rami Boudrouma (ALG)
Francisco Saubidet (ARG)
Ethan Westera (ARU)
Grae Morris (AUS)
Mateus Isaac (BRA)
Huang Jingye (CHN)
Johan Søe (DEN)
Jakob Eklund (FIN)
Nicolas Goyard (FRA)
Sebastian Kördel (GER)
Sam Sills (GBR)
Byron Kokkalanis (GRE)
Cheng Ching Yin (HKG)
Tom Reuveny (ISR)
Nicolò Renna (ITA)
Makoto Tomizawa (JPN)
Rytis Jasiūnas (LTU)
Luuc van Opzeeland (NED)
Josh Armit (NZL)
Paweł Tarnowski (POL)
Robert Kubín (SVK)
Ignacio Baltasar (ESP)
Elia Colombo (SUI)
Noah Lyons (USA)

Women

Chiara Ferretti (ARG)
Lorena Abicht (AUT)
Yan Zheng (CHN)
Palma Čargo (CRO)
Natasa Lappa (CYP)
Kateřina Švíková (CZE)
Ingrid Puusta (EST)
Hélène Noesmoen (FRA)
Theresa Steinlein (GER)
Emma Wilson (GBR)
Ma Kwan Ching (HKG)
Sharon Kantor (ISR)
Marta Maggetti (ITA)
Mariana Aguilar (MEX)
Sara Wennekes (NED)
Veerle ten Have (NZL)
Mina Mobekk (NOR)
María Bazo (PER)
Maja Dziarnowska (POL)
Lina Eržen (SLO)
Pilar Lamadrid (ESP)
Johanna Hjertberg (SWE)
Merve Vatan (TUR)
Dominique Stater (USA)

Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com

Nico Prien builds and sails a windsurf board made of wood

2024-04-24T10:00:32+00:00

Innovations are a product of ideas and experimentation. But can anyone make and ride a windsurf board made from an oriented strand board (OSB)?

One day at night, Nico Prien had an eureka moment. Could he create a DIY windsurf board using a basic wooden plank?

The next day, he got to work and put his plan in motion.

The starting point was a 250-centimeter long, 68-centimeter wide, and 2.5-centimeter thick OSB.

The goal was to keep it simple: no special features like a rocker, channels, rails, or tail - just a plain template with a rounded nose.

The first step was to build a makeshift fin box for a real windsurfing fin, as Prien wanted a bit of performance.

For that, he used wood blocks, allowing them to slide a fin in and out. To ensure a snug fit, the German windsurfer improvised with foil shims.

Next, it was time to determine the position of the mast base.

Prien placed it relatively far back to prevent the nose of the board from diving into waves, so he drilled holes in the board, creating multiple positions for adjustment.

Then, to position the footstraps, Nico aimed for an angle that provided stability and control, so he drilled holes and attached them securely to the board.

Finally, to improve the board's performance, they added a "scoop" by cutting a piece of wood to provide extra lift and maneuverability.

The beauty's name? Slim Shady.

The Water Test

The most exciting of the DIY windsurf board project was testing it out in the water.

Could this unconventional construction survive the sailing experience?

The first thing Nico Prien quickly realized was that the board had insufficient buoyancy, causing it to sink under the windsurfer's weight.

Consequently, it wasn't easy to get it moving and stay afloat.

Maneuvering the board also proved to be challenging, especially in gusty winds. Prien struggled to maintain control and found it difficult to navigate the choppy water effectively.

Despite the initial difficulties, the German eventually had successful runs where he got the wooden windsurf board planing and moving.

The more he rode the OSB, the easier it was to adapt to the board's quirks and learn to anticipate its behavior.

Despite its limitations, the windsurfer achieved a maximum speed of 17.7 knots, demonstrating its potential under the right conditions.

In the end, Prien knew what to do to improve the world's simplest windsurf board: to adjust the footstrap positions, optimize weight distribution, and add features like an air vent screw to prevent water intake.

Hopefully, there will be an upgraded 2.0 version of this crazy and fun design.

Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com

Windsurfer Sarah Hauser rides 40-foot wave at Jaws for the Guinness

2024-03-07T12:54:11+00:00

Sarah Hauser set a new Guinness World Record for the biggest wave ridden by a female windsurfer.

On January 22, 2023, the rider broke her own record by taking her windsurfer into a massive 40-foot (12.19 meters) at Jaws/Peahi in Maui.

Hauser, who was born in New Caledonia and lives in Hawaii, improved her previous mark by four feet (1.2 meters) set on December 31, 2019.

"I broke the record on the day The Eddie Aikau Invitation was running on Oahu," explained the Guinness World Record holder.

"In ten years of going out to Peahi, this was the most treacherous I'd ever seen."

"The buoy readings were the biggest I've ever seen: 27 feet at 19 seconds. The waves peeled like hungry jaws."

"Thankfully, Keith Teboul and the whole Quatro team poured all their knowledge and experience into building me a Jaws board, which made all the difference."

"I had spent the previous days with Goya sail designer Jason Diffin reviewing sail settings and making sure every detail was right."

A Storm in Heaven

Sarah Hauser raised the bar of women's big wave windsurfing one day amidst personal struggles.

"There are so many people and so many stories behind one wave," adds the 2023 International Windsurfing Tour (IWT) wave vice-world champion.

"Like how a week before, Adam Lewis, Jason Cantor, and I were stopped in our tracks while we were heading out to Peahi, but our ski broke down at Upper Kanaha, and we had to get rescued."

"Or how Kevin Pritchard, Robby Swift, and I barely made it out of Maliko only to realize we were missing a piece of equipment and had to play the Maliko Russian roulette again to go back for it."

"Or how Casey Hauser and I found out the day before that he had Leukemia - that last one was definitely heavy."

"Having the love of my life threatened by cancer and being by his side to support him as he fights it back, that's the biggest ride of my life."

"Bigger than any scary wave I have ever caught."

"But in the end, the same rules apply: you do your best with what you can control, and you let go of the rest, you lean on your ohana to learn what you don't know, and to move forward, you look for the beauty in the challenges."

"Our flight to LA, where Casey and I had to go for his biopsy, wasn't until the evening."

"Thanks to Robby and Kevin, I had an opportunity to go to Peahi, so I went."

"There are so many entangled thoughts when you become a caretaker."

"Guilt, selflessness, worry, fear. It's sometimes hard to hear one's intuition, but for some reason, it was clear on that day."

"We then flew to LA, where Casey started chemotherapy right away and continued with different treatments for another year or so."

"I split my time between Maui and LA to support him as best as I can. It's a tough road, but we got this."

"More than anything, I think I'm proud of myself for simply going out that day even though it was the heaviest day of my life."

"Dreaming big makes me feel alive. It's true when things are good but especially when things aren't."

The unique match-race windsurfing event held in a natural pool

2024-01-31T11:39:18+00:00

The Portuguese island of Madeira is home to the world's first natural swimming pool windsurfing regatta.

The innovative competitive format was launched in 2013 by the Olympic RS:X windsurfing veteran João Rodrigues and a team of sailing enthusiasts.

"The formula is very simple," explained Rodrigues.

"Two identical pieces of equipment - in this case, two boards that I used in the Olympic campaigns in Beijing, London, and Rio, the RS:X, which proved to be perfect for this purpose, and two identical rigs, adapted to each level: 4.0 for beginners, 5.5 for juniors and 6.6 for seniors and masters - very short regattas, lots of maneuvers and the public, literally, on top of the event!"

The 2024 Grande Prémio de Windsurf do Porto Moniz presents many challenges to the competitors.

The wind is fickle due to the proximity to land and natural obstacles, namely rocks.

The limited space available also requires lots of control over the equipment, and the noisy encouragement from the public puts extra pressure on windsurfers.

The icing on the cake is the waves overcoming the natural protection of the pools that transform the regatta field into a randomly unstable water basin.

"For the spectators, it was an opportunity to see the regattas as closely as possible and witness hilarious disputes. I believe it would only be closer if they were in the water," added Rodrigues.

The Tight Match-Racing Format

The Porto Moniz Windsurfing Grand Prix featured 44 sailors competing in a match-racing format, i.e., one-on-one matchups.

To make the event even more diverse and after an intense Saturday confined to a tiny regatta field, on Sunday, windsurfers competed in a long-distance race in open water but still, with a start and finish in the harbor, bringing back to the public many of the emotions that were previously inaccessible.

"There is a general feeling that we should repeat the event with this format and, who knows, perhaps expand it to outside sailors, whether national or foreign," concluded João Rodrigues.

"But the spirit must remain the same. It has to be an event that brings together the windsurfing community with the flexibility to think about outside-the-box events."

"The sporting component should undoubtedly be present, but a social environment is also fundamental."

"Can we only adopt this format to the natural pools of Porto Moniz? No. But this scenario is not replicable! The region's jagged coastline, rocks, waves, and water mirror are unparalleled."

"However, this does not mean that we cannot think of other iconic places and in other formats."

João Rodrigues represented Portugal in seven back-to-back Olympic Games from Barcelona 1992 to Rio 2016.

The windsurfer from Santa Cruz, Madeira, started his Olympic campaign on a Lechner A-390, moved to Mistral, and concluded his unprecedented ride in RS:X.

III Grande Prémio de Windsurf do Porto Moniz | Results

Beginners

Filip Vasconcelos
Margarida Freitas
Beatriz Freitas

Juniors

Matias Menezes
Pedro Manso
João Caires

Veterans

Bruno Fernandes
Francisco Rosa
Vítor Nóbrega

Masters

Pedro Moura
António Perestrelo
João Rodrigues

Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com