- Bruno Martini joins We One
- Matteo Iachino leaves Severne
- Taty Frans back at Future Fly
- Daniele Benedetti joins We One and Challenger Sails
- Alexandre Cousin ends his World Cup career
- Lisa Kloster now on Starboard
- Bodhi Kempen moves to Duotone
- Cyril Evrard competes on boards from Black Cobra Foiling
- Amado Vrieswijk leaves Point-7
- Vincent Langer joins North Sails
- Bob van de Burgt back at FMX Racing
- Lisa Kloster no longer with MB Boards
The new "Category Manager Windsurf" from North Sails, Vincent Langer, had surf interview announced some notable commitmentsNow it's out: the brand with the traditional name is bringing in Pierre Mortefon, a World Championship favourite on fin and foil. In the middle of last season, Mortefon had his Sponsor lost and was temporarily at the start with NeilPryde sails. For Mortefon, it is a return to his roots; he was under contract with Duotone and the "old" North brand until 2024: "I spent most of my career with North Sails," he is quoted as saying in the announcement. "I got my first contract there, then my first photo shoot, my first race win and my first event win. That's obviously something very special for me." The four-time world champion continues to take to the water with boards from FMX.
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Bruno Martini joins We One
Bruno Martini is the next World Cup pro to switch to We One. "These are my new foil tools for the 2026 season," Bruno wrote in an Instagram post. "I'm happy to be part of this brand that I really believe I can create something here that will last." Martini was competing on i99 and S2Maui in 2025 after losing his long-time partners JP-Australia and NeilPryde. Things seem to be moving forward with his sailing sponsor, as Martini continues to ride S2Maui in the short reel. We One announced the signing of Daniele Benedetti just a few days ago.
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Matteo Iachino leaves Severne
The first really big surprise on the transfer market: world champion Matteo Iachino and his long-standing sailing sponsor Severne are going their separate ways. "Eight years. Two PWA World Championships. An incredible achievement," wrote Severne in an Instagram post. The Italian had been sailing with the red sails since 2018, winning his second and third world titles in 2023 and 2025. "It was a pleasure to spend these eight years together with Severne," he is quoted as saying in the post. "We won a lot together and I learnt a lot both in and out of the water. I would like to thank Ben and the whole team for the great time and wish you all the best for the future!" Iachino has not yet commented on where he is heading.
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Taty Frans back at Future Fly
A homecoming without major changes for Taty Frans: The fin fan from Bonaire is officially returning to Future Fly for the new season, where he was previously under contract for several years. In 2025, Taty competed on Arnon Dagan's boards, but was not officially sponsored. "We are very excited to announce that our friend Taty Frans is now officially back with Future Fly," the brand wrote on Instagram. "He has been with Future Fly since day one and even in 2025 when there was no sponsorship deal, he chose our boards for the PWA season and helped us develop the 2026 Dark Horse line. We are therefore over the moon to have Taty officially back on the Future Fly World Cup team and to see him overtake anyone who gets in his way on our new boards!" Taty announced in the same post that he will be competing in the PWA and IFCA events with the aim of finishing on the podium.
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Daniele Benedetti joins We One and Challenger Sails
After just one year, slalom pro Daniele Benedetti is already leaving the Duotone team. The Italian is returning to his former partner Challenger Sails, where he will also take on other tasks for the brand. In future, his boards will come from We One. Benedetti, runner-up in the 2024 Foil World Championship, writes about his return to Challenger: "A brand that has made me runner-up over the years. Working with them has been an important part of my journey." He will not only be active as a rider, but will also be involved in marketing and sales for the brand. "At the same time, I'm really looking forward to the new collaboration with a brand that is completely new to me: We One," says Benedetti about his new board sponsor. "From the very first moment, I feel like part of a family and have been warmly welcomed by the team."
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Alexandre Cousin ends his World Cup career
In 2026, a familiar face will be missing from the Slalom World Cups: Alexandre Cousin announced on Instagram that he wants to end his racing career. "After more than 15 years in various competition series, it's time to close this chapter," wrote Cousin. The Patrik driver achieved one of the best results of his career in 2025 with a third place in Guadeloupe, finishing eighth in the world championship rankings. He was also a regular in the top ten in previous years. "Of course I won't retire from the water completely. The passion is still there," wrote the 36-year-old, thanking his many companions and sponsors. "Now it's time for me to return to the family business!"
Lisa Kloster now on Starboard
Lisa Kloster joins the Starboard dream team. After Germany's best freestyler announced her departure from MB Boards some time ago, the - unsurprising - news has now come via Starboard's Instagram account. Lisa had been travelling on the boards since one of her old boards broke on Fuerteventura and she had borrowed a replacement from Sarah-Quita Offringa. Since then, Kloster has often been seen on the boards with the Tiki. She will also be making her first appearance next weekend at the tow-in at boot.
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Bodhi Kempen moves to Duotone
Duotone brings freestyler Bodhi Kempen into the team. The Dutchman, previously on Severne, was introduced with an interview on the website, and the first pictures on the new material are already available. Bodhi says of his goals for the coming season: "I want to train as much as possible and try to take part in all PWA and EFPT events. Just stay consistent, compete a lot and improve!" His focus is on classic freestyle, but he also wants to compete in foil style and tow-in. Duotone is delighted with the new addition: "We are looking forward to supporting Bodhi in his further development in 2026 and seeing Duotone even more strongly represented in the freestyle scene on both the PWA and FPT tours!" The first event on the new equipment is just around the corner: Bodhi Kempen will be competing in the FPT Cup at boot Düsseldorf on 24 and 25 January!
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Cyril Evrard competes on boards from Black Cobra Foiling
Cyril Evrard will be competing on boards from Black Cobra Foiling in the new season and is therefore leaving his previous sponsor Patrik. The French brand will be present in the World Cup from 2026, as stated in a joint Instagram post. Bertrand Litou, the man behind Black Cobra, said: "First of all, I'm over the moon to be joining the PWA next season and to continue building my brand. And what better way to do that than with a young, fast driver with great potential for the future! What I like about Cyril is his determination, his commitment and his will to win. I admire his training discipline and his desire to push himself to perform at his best, both physically and mentally. That's a great quality that makes him a complete athlete!"
Cyril is also looking forward to the new partnership: "Having a new sponsor is always exciting, but this time it's even more so because it's a new brand with a new goal and big ambitions, and I'm proud to be the first building block of this project!" says the Belgian, who finished 15th in the 2025 Foil. "When I spoke to the boss/shaper Bertrand Litou, we were in complete agreement... we want to win - that's it! The board feels fantastic and extremely fast, and I can't wait to unleash the horse on the water!"
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Amado Vrieswijk leaves Point-7
Amado Vrieswijk only switched to Point-7 at the beginning of 2025, and the transfer was announced with great fanfare at the time. But after a year, the all-round talent from Bonaire and the Italian sailing brand have gone their separate ways again. "Thank you for the journey and the support in 2025! Thank you, Point-7!!!" wrote Amado in an Instagram post, wishing the team every success for the future. Sounds like a parting on good terms, especially as it seems that Vrieswijk already has a new sailing sponsor in sight: "On to the next chapter in my career!"
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Vincent Langer joins North Sails
"Back to the roots" writes Vincent Langer in his post announcing the switch to North Sails. The DWC dominator will therefore be racing with the high-tech cloths of the North Actionsports Group in 2026. "I'm delighted to be part of this exciting project," Vinci continued, also announcing further team news in the near future. Whether Langer will continue to ride Duotone boards, however, was left open. Vincent was already sponsored by North at the beginning of his career, and after a few stops in between, he was part of the North and later Duotone team for many years under the umbrella of Boards & More, where he also played a key role in development. Philip Horn, who like Langer is based in Kiel, has been looking after the "new" North as the German importer for about a year now.
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Bob van de Burgt back at FMX Racing
Dutch foil racer Bob van de Burgt is returning to FMX Racing for the coming season. Van de Burgt was already racing on Finian Maynard boards until spring 2025, but then competed in a few events on Patrik boards. "It's a pleasure to welcome Bob van de Burgt back to FMX," reads a joint post. "He has made significant progress in 2025, working his way up to 12th in the overall PWA standings. We see his potential and work ethic to further develop his skills and make an impact at the PWA and IFCA races in 2026. We look forward to working with him again.
Van de Burgt himself wrote: "After a year's break, I'm delighted to be back with what I consider to be the best board brand on the market. Both the shapes and the construction of the FMX Racing boards set new standards in the windsurfing industry. For the time being, I will be riding and training on the tried-and-tested Hyperion 158 model. FMX has a new board up its sleeve for next year, which Finian has developed with a lot of passion and craftsmanship. I'm looking forward to the new season!" In addition to the FMX boards, the Dutchman rides sails from Point-7, where he will apparently also be part of the team next year.
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Lisa Kloster no longer with MB Boards
First sponsor change of winter 2025/2026: Lisa Kloster announced on Instagram that her collaboration with MB Boards is coming to an end. The Swiss brand is known for its eye-catching shapes with very straight rails and almost angular tails.
"A chapter is coming to an end," writes the World Championship bronze medallist. "Thank you for believing in me right from the start! I'm really grateful for the support, for getting to know the MB team and experiencing their commitment. The people behind this brand are the biggest water sports enthusiasts I know! The sponsorship may be coming to an end, but the friendship will last forever!"
Last season, Lisa had already competed with a different board after her own board was damaged in the middle of the competition on Fuerte. As third in the 2025 World Cup ranking, Lisa will hopefully be of interest to many big brands.
Over the course of the season, she has written down for us what she experiences on her trips to the best freestyle spots:
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