France’s Antoine Albeau successfully defended his Professional Windsurfers Associatrion Slalom World Championship in 2009. He has held 11 eleven World Championships in different disciplines since 1994.
Antoine started windsurfing at the age of five on the island of Ré on the west coast of France. Guided by his father, Antoine became a professional windsurfer in 1992. Since then,he has accumulated many national and international titles and is now considered one of the best windsurfers in the world.
Albeau is best known for the world sailing speed record he set in March 2008 when he reached 49.09 knots (90.91 km/h or 56.49 mph) – driven by 50 knot mistral winds - on a purpose built course on a canal in Les Saintes Maries de la Mer in France.
In October 2008 he also successfully completed a six hour, 75-mile open sea crossing between Cherbourg, France and Poole, UK.
