TWO FASTEST ON THE PLANET

At the Prince of Speed event in La Palme, France, the two people who built SEVERNE’s speed program now hold the two fastest nautical mile times in the world. Antoine Albeau set a new mark at 44.97 knots. Cedric Bordes sits second at 44.42. Here is the part that makes it: both rode essentially the same setup, the Monster 5.7 on the Fury 45. Antoine and Cedric co-developed both, the sail and the board.

The Prince of Speed runs at Plage du Rouet, La Palme, from June 7 to July 7, sanctioned by the World Sailing Speed Record Council. The nautical mile is one of the sport’s true benchmarks; a long, sustained run where a rider has to hold full speed the whole way, not just fire a single peak burst across a 500-metre trap. It rewards control as much as raw pace.

On June 29, Cedric Bordes set the mark at 44.42 knots. The next day, Antoine Albeau went faster. Both times now stand as the number one and number two nautical mile marks in the world, pending official ratification by the World Sailing Speed Record Council.

The record day was not clean.

Antoine: “The conditions were really difficult. On the record day, we were looking at a brutal initial 35-40 knots that kept increasing. You basically couldn’t stand on the beach. The sandblasting was next level! I think we got into the water a bit late. The wind was firing and the tide had gone down a bit.”

The dropping tide changed the game. La Palme’s course runs past sand banks that are usually safe to pass; with less water over them, the margins closed.

Antoine: “Normally you’d be able to pass the critical sand banks, but with the water having gone down, it was a tricky game. I gambled on the path I thought would be best to go, a spot you’d usually be safe, and I had a massive crash, running into one of the sand banks at just about 48 knots of speed. I destroyed a good chunk of my gear. Luckily my harness hook broke and I was able to avoid disaster.”

A crash at nearly 48 knots would end plenty of record attempts before they start. Antoine got back out.

Antoine: “In the end, I had a few good runs and the fastest one showed 45.5 knots on the nautical mile on my GPS, and the timing came out to 44.97 knots. I was able to improve on my team mate Cedric Bordes’ record from the day before, a position he still solidly holds.”

His GPS read 45.5 on the fastest run; the official timing came in at 44.97. That is the number that counts, and it is now the fastest nautical mile on record.

Antoine on the record run at La Palme. Photo by Prince of Speed.

The Gear

Antoine set the record on the Monster 5.7, rigged on an RDM Red 400 mast with an Enigma 170 boom. He had tried the smaller Monster 5.3 earlier in the day.

Antoine: “I had done a few runs on the Monster 5.3 but it proved too small on such a long run with gusts and lulls. I rode the Monster 5.7 rigged on a RDM Red 400 mast and an Enigma 170 boom when I broke the record.”

Big range, big acceleration, total stability at redline speeds. On the day, that meant the 5.3 was too small across the long gusty course and the 5.7 was the size that worked. Sizes run 4.9, 5.3, 5.7, 6.3, 6.9.

The board was the Fury 45.

Antoine: “I rode the Fury 45 which is the ideal board for this spot and this type of record attempt.”

Cedric describes the Fury the same way he rides it: it always feels planted and never wants to take off, which gives him the confidence to push harder. Sizes run 42, 45, 49, 55.

Antoine and Cedric co-developed both the Monster and the Fury together. The two riders who built SEVERNE’s speed gear now hold the two fastest nautical mile times in the world, on the gear they built together. Both the Monster and the Fury release at the end of 2026; these records were set on gear that isn’t in the shops yet.

The Monster 5.7 on the Fury 45. Photo by Prince of Speed.

Behind the Runs

Speed sailing is never a solo effort on a day like that. The Zephir crew were on the beach with Antoine through every run.

Antoine: “The Zephir crew all supported me throughout these days, and it was a great help having them support me on the beach, assisting with logistics and all of the fine tuning.”

And Antoine does not think the ceiling is here yet.

Antoine: “I believe we could go faster with a bit more favourable conditions, and a bit more time for tuning, which of course is difficult to achieve given the little amount of days with conditions like this. I am looking forward to the next record day!”

The problem with speed records is the window. You need everything to line up on the same day; wind strength, tide, the right sail, the tuning dialled. La Palme doesn’t give you too many such days across the whole event. Antoine already thinks there is more in the tank.

Catching the action up close. Photo by Prince of Speed.

Cedric Bordes, low and planted. Photo by Prince of Speed.

Cedric Bordes: The Run Before the Record

Cedric Bordes set the mark first. On June 29 he put 44.42 knots on the board, and that time still holds second in the world. He carried something with him onto the water that day.

Cedric: “It was an amazing feeling to break the record. Before I left home, my son told me that I could do it, and that stayed with me. Deep down you always believe it’s possible, but there are some incredibly fast sailors out there. Antoine has been the benchmark in speed sailing for many years, so just getting close to him was already something special.”

Cedric knows what it feels like to hold a record for a matter of minutes. He has stood exactly where Antoine stood the next day.

Cedric: “At my first Lüderitz event, I actually held the 500 m world record for about 25 minutes before Antoine beat it, so congratulations to him once again.”

His record day at La Palme came together on water state, not wind strength.

Cedric: “La Palme is an amazing speed sailing spot, but the conditions can change dramatically from one day to the next, and it’s very difficult to predict when everything will come together. On the record day, the wind wasn’t actually that strong; around 35 knots, maybe 40 in the gusts. What really made the difference was the water state. Thanks to the almost full offshore wind direction, the wind was almost square to the course, so there was almost no chop.”

Then came Antoine’s record day, and Cedric had a run of his own that he will not forget for a different reason.

Cedric: “I’m just a little disappointed because on the day Antoine set his new record, I had an incredibly fast run as well, but I hit the sandbank for about 20 metres. My 21 cm fin still touched the bottom by around 10 cm. I still don’t know how I managed not to catapult, and despite that I still averaged 44.32 knots. But that’s speed sailing. You can always say ‘what if’, but that’s part of the game.”

He clipped the sandbank for twenty metres, his fin dragging the bottom, and still ran 44.32. That number is not his record; his record is the 44.42 from the day before. It is the what-if that speed sailors carry home.

Cedric rode the same setup he used to set his Open Ocean 500m world record.

Cedric: “I was using exactly the same gear as when I set the Open Ocean 500 m world record: a Fury 45 board, a 21 cm asymmetrical fin, and the Monster 5.7. I feel extremely confident on this setup. The board always feels planted and never wants to take off, which gives me a lot of confidence to push harder. The sail also slips through the wind effortlessly, without ever feeling heavy or fighting against me. That combination really helps when you’re trying to go as fast as possible.”

The same combination Antoine set the record on. Monster 5.7, Fury 45. The two fastest nautical mile runs in the world, both on the same gear.

Cedric wants more people to feel it.

Cedric: “I think anyone can enjoy speed sailing, especially at a spot like La Palme. You can sail very close to the beach, which makes the whole experience unique. The sensations are incredible, even on wave or freeride equipment. It’s completely different from sailing at many other speed spots around the world. You’re so close to the shore that you can actually hear the chop hitting the bottom of your board while you’re flying across the water. It’s an amazing feeling, and it’s much more accessible than people think. Equipment has also evolved a lot over the years. Even though we race on dedicated speed gear, it’s much easier to handle than it used to be. It’s no longer as extreme or intimidating as many people imagine.”

Cedric rode the Fury 45 with a 21cm asymmetrical fin and the Monster 5.7.

Cedric on the Fury 45 with a 21cm asymmetrical fin. Photo by Prince of Speed.

Two Fastest On The Planet

Two team SEVERNE riders. The two fastest nautical mile times in the world. Same setup, the Monster 5.7 on the Fury 45, and both riders co-developed both the Monster and the Fury. First and second, on the gear they built together.

By Antoine’s read it is not finished, and Cedric already knows what a fast run gone slightly wrong feels like. The Prince of Speed runs through July 7. Both marks stand pending official ratification by the World Sailing Speed Record Council.

Antoine Albeau rode the Monster 5.7 on an RDM Red 400 mast and Enigma 170 boom, on the Fury 45.
Record: 44.97 knots (nautical mile), La Palme, France.

Cedric Bordes rode the Monster 5.7 on the Fury 45 with a 21cm asymmetrical fin.
Record: 44.42 knots (nautical mile), set June 29, La Palme, France.

Photos: Prince of Speed

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