The New Albatros

Hello Benoît,

First of all, how are you and how are the ideas bubbling at MB-Boards?

I'm doing pretty well, even if I would like to run a little less. 

My thermo development thoughts mixed with Mathias' skills don't help to slow down our rhythm of  life ;)

To get to the heart of the matter, can you explain us how you decided to evolve the shape of this new Albatros?

The main idea is to make the boards more performant/easy to launch without compromising its accessibility.

Could you tell us a little bit more about the feedback from riders that influenced your ideas/choices on this new shape? Do you also have in mind a different way of riding between men and women in general?

I wouldn't make a difference between men and women, but rather between a more active (energetic pumping) or passive style at take off. The goal of our shape evolution is to fill a lack of technique by offering the easiest takeoff to a greater number of riders.

The first attempts clearly showed a big difference in this area. 

Some sessions in light wind proved to be a great deal thanks to this enhanced ability for easier take off while others remained stuck on the water.

How does the Albatros shape and outline compare to other boards on the market?

Our position remains the same, to offer high performance products while keeping the accessibility and stability of our unique outline.

The 118, 98 and 78 keep an incomparable stability and have gained a lot in ease of takeoff.

We changed and made the Albatros 58  towards an increased freestyle oriented programme. We've increased the stability for landing jumps and make it easier to learn new tricks. 

Do you see any potential for further shape evolution on wingfoil boards in the future, in other words, are you already looking ahead to the future of the Albatros?

Each evolution of shape brings new possibilities, so for me clearly this evolution will instill new thoughts for the future.

We have created a new one board concept line which has given birth to the Butterfly 32 and 42 liters, thanks to the ability of our new Albatros shape. 

In addition to being a high performance wing board, its shape is very popular for surf foiling and pump foiling. Some riders also use it for kitefoiling with very positive feedback.

How do you translate the XS spirit of the MB windsurf boards to the Albatros shape?

Each board is developed so that a small rider can have a stance (foot distance) adapted to his size while having his balance in the right place on the board.

In addition, this year we have equipped our boards with new, longer foil housings that allow for perfect positioning between the foil and all straps positions.

In upcoming news, we will talk together about the construction and production of the new Albatross.  Can you already tease us and reveal some elements?

It is very obvious. At mb-boards, our values and our commitment remain to always  propose improved  high quality products that factor in  sustainable and responsible outcomes for our clients and the environment. This naturally directed us towards a production based out of  Europe, and closer to our current market.

Our entire Albatros and Butterfly range will be built in ICT; Infusion Carbon Technology which is the highest range on the market. Thanks to this production unit know-how, we are able to leave visible carbon construction, where others use paint design to camouflage imperfections.

Thanks Benoît for these insights into the shape of the new Albatros, we're definitely  going to enjoy this on the water! We look forward to discussing in more detail very soon about the secrets of the Albatros' construction and its production in Europe.

Stay tuned!