Zephir Project — Windsurfing into the Future – Technical Milestones & World Records (public version)

Technical Milestones of Zephir Project (public version)

1) Technical ecosystem & tools

• Strengthened ecosystem structure with around 70 entities and an average of 100 people regularly involved, covering 14 performance or eco-responsibility technology building blocks.
• In particular, engineers from the ALTEN group (all scientific fields of “Smart Design”), BPCE Solutions Informatiques (data science) and the BECHTLE Group (IT and devices), led by Marc Amerigo, Antoine Albeau and Olivier Ponrouch (UFO Ultimate Fins Original).
• ANSYS and Cadence aeronautical and marine reference software, implemented and in use since mid-2025 (simulation/design/optimization/digital twins).
• Computing power adjusted to the needs of the Zephir Project to run these calculation and design tools optimally.

2) Rider and Rigging aerodynamics

• Continuous exploitation of various wind tunnel tests, alignment with calculations and the sensations of Antoine and Pierre. The measured gains are consistent with the calculations made after the fact.
• Campaign 12-2020 (Aéro Concept Engineering (ACE) Magny-Cours & IAT-CNAM – S10 & S6): rider aerodynamics, scans, visualization of interactions with the sail, motion capture.
• Campaign 04-2023 at IAT-CNAM – S4 with ENSTA engineering students: measurements and aerodynamic combination, complete rigging,
• Campaign 03-2025 at IAT-CNAM – S6: measurements of forces and moments exerted on the wind tunnel balance, use of our on-board measurement chain at sea (force in the harness, rigging movements, anemometers, etc.), imaging measurements of rigging deformations and rider position.
• Lüderitz 2025 campaign: gains felt and validated in runs; streamlined helmet used systematically above 50 knots. For information regarding Antoine’s safety, the helmet’s appendage detaches in the event of an impact. The aerodynamic suit could not be used due to a lack of wind suitable for exceeding 54 knots.

3) Appendages (fin/foils/hulls)

• Development loop: calculation/prototyping/testing/feel/measurements/iteration.
• Studies and prototypes of high-performance appendages beyond 52–53 knots for fins / 38–40 knots for foils: reduced drag, cavitation pushed back, improved lift and control, outline adapted to conditions.

4) Boards and surface treatment

• Optimization of aerodynamics, hull designs, and construction with alternative materials alongside with ALTEN and our partner shaper Black Cobra Foiling.
• Working with NAUTIX on coatings and surface architecture, with the goal of quantifying the gains achieved in navigation by 2026.

5) Rigging

• Change of partner for Antoine: gradual implementation of the Zephir Project – Severne Windsurfing collaboration.
• Calculations already underway; first joint prototypes expected in 2026.

6) Onboard measurements & Data Science

• Use of our data accumulated over the years to train complex Machine Learning models based on AI algorithms with BPCE SI. Intermediate result: prediction of windfoil and wingfoil speeds at 2 seconds with 3% error.
• Two complementary chains: autonomous box using SBG Systems inertial measurement units; complete chain, with embedded Android application developed with ALTEN, to merge and exploit data from selected embedded sensors (Data Fusion).
• Objectives for 2026-2027:
• Create a single predictive tool, bringing together knowledge acquired from digital simulation, onboard data, and riders’ sensations.
• Inform the rider in real time (instantaneous/average rider speed, actual & apparent wind force and angle, foil height, and support attitude while sailing),
• and provide technical recommendations, for example via screen display and head-up display.

7) Ecoresponsibility (design using stress and deformation calculations)

• Complex calculation of stresses and structural behavior: aerodynamic & hydrodynamic CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) / FSI (Fluid-Structure Interaction) to determine the optimal dynamic deformations of the material.
• Design of technical solutions based on bio-based, recycled, or recyclable materials that meet the specifications derived from the calculations.
• The first prototype, expected in the first half of 2026, is an important technical milestone for the Zephir Project.

8) Lüderitz review – November 2025 (facts + publishable findings)

• This competition in Lüderitz was prepared as a real experimental laboratory for Antoine Albeau and Zephir Project.
• A month of open competition with wind limiting the time available for fine-tuning and measurements.
• In total, Antoine only completed 96 official runs over the period (see here Live LCS2025) out of 4,200 possible equipment configurations on site.
• Approach: validation and adjustments throughout the runs; convergence from a wide range of combinations to ten effective setups depending on conditions.
• Saturday, November 29, 2025: the windiest day of the month on the canal.
• On that day: 26 runs; max average speed of 52.25 knots over 500 m; 53.60 knots peak (99.3 km/h). On that day, Antoine outperformed his four main competitors, who had come to beat 100 km/h, by more than 2 knots on average over 500 m (Vincent Valkenaers 50.24 knots, Cédric Bordes (Team Severne Windsurfing) 50.21, Gunnar Asmussen 50.08, Brendan Lorho 50.02). Values from 11/29/2025 Live LCS2025.
• Public elements: new-generation fins that reduce cavitation, streamlined prototype helmet, optimization of sail/board/fin combinations, comprehensive data collection during high-speed runs.
• End of the 2025 window: from 4:00 p.m. on 11/29, the wind became very irregular and the water conditions deteriorated. The right conditions did not present themselves during this campaign of attempts, but the Zephir Project team learned a lot (Summary and network publications here).

9) Technical milestones of Zephir Project with World Records & Titles (Antoine & Pierre)