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ANKE BRANDT
Anke Brandt has been going with the wind since she was a child, going on sailing holidays with her dad. In Berlin she grew up on a lake and was racing Optimists and 420er Class before she tried out Windsurfing and Wakeboarding. So it came only naturally that she picked up a kite for the first time in 2009 in New Zealand. Since then she never looked back and set her first World Record of non stop kitesurfing in 2014.
This project was the final confirmation that she had lost her heart to the ocean and she continue to chase the sunset on the water ever since.
In 2016 the 33 year old Event Manager and budding Sports-therapist broke her own record on the way from Bahrain to Abu Dhabi being 30h non stop at sea covering 489km. For a long time, crossing the Atlantic Ocean was on her bucket list too. When Francisco invited her to the Kitesurf Odyssey at the Azores, there was no doubt to join the team.
This is the perfect challenge to continue chasing sunsets on the ocean.. 2017 will be the year Anke joins Francisco and embrace a completely new challenge, trying to break new records and connect the Azores to Mainland Portugal.
FRANCISCO LUFINHA
Francisco is a 34 year-old Portuguese entrepreneur and a nautical sports addicted. Just after his first 15 days of life, his parents took him for a sailing boat trip, and initiated a lifelong bound to the sea. Born in Lisbon, he started to learn how to sail at the age of eleven and after 7 years of competition he won several regattas and represented Portugal in many international competitions. Besides sailing, Francisco also practices water ski, wakeboard and windsurf, but it was kitesurf that caught his most interest, as the sport joins the best of his favorite sorts. In 2005 he became the national kitesurf champion and in 2006 the vice-champion, also achieving in the same year a fifth place on the world circuit PKRA.
Francisco has a master degree in Industrial Management and Engineering, has worked as a consultant, but found in the nautical sports area his passion and started developing new events and extreme projects for a living.
Currently he holds the world record for the Longest Journey Kitesurfing without stops, achieved in 2015 between Lisbon and Madeira, covering 874 Km of the Portuguese coast during 48 intense hours without stops.
KITESURF ODYSSEY 2017
2017 is the year of the largest and Ultimate Odyssey in the Portuguese sea. This time the objective is to connect the Azores to the continent kitesurfing – more than 1500 km of Atlantic Ocean in its most savage state.
With departure scheduled for September 2017 and a minimum duration of 5 days, this crossing will be the most vulnerable to weather changes, accumulated fatigue and danger at sea.
The distance is so much that a motor boat has no autonomy to follow, led the support team to follow the Kitesurfers on a sailboat, free from fuel and friend of the environment, meeting the project values.
The cherry on top of the cake is the invitation made to the Kitesurf world record holder – Anke Brandt – Kite Beyond – to share miles during this long odyssey. The German has the world record for the longest kitesurfing journey, with the 491 km Mark Mark for 30 hours between Bahrain and Abu Dhabi in 2016.
Follow our team on this adventure and make sure to tune our social networks Facebook and Instagram, so that you don’t miss a thing about this ultimate odyssey on Portuguese Sea!
The four pillars of the challenge:
METEOROLOGY
The trickiest aspect of project. Strong north wind that could bring 33 feet waves and strong precipitation.
SECURITY
One of the most important aspects of the odyssey. Francisco will be helped by a rescue boat from the Portuguese Navy.
RESISTANCE
With his intensive physical preparation and through training practices, he managed to overcome several adversities and fatigue.
MOTIVATION
You cannot achieve anything without motivation. In order to keep on going, Francisco relies on his team support and from all of you!
PORTUGAL IS SEA
The Azores KiteSurf Odyssey is the biggest and ultimate journey and will conclude the “Portugal is Sea” project, which goal is to connect the entire Portuguese territory Kitesurfing.
AZORES - MAINLAND
2017
Novo Recorde Mundial!
472 milhas (874 Km)
47h37min no Mar
SUPPORTERS
SUPPORTERS
TECHNICAL PARTNERS
"WE JUST NEED TO GO AHEAD AND BELIEVE"
TEAM
In order to reach his goal, Francisco counts with full support from a strong and motivated team
Francisco Lufinha
Kitesurfer & Project Leader
Alexandra Hernández
Digital Marketing
Anke Brandt
Invited Kitesurfer
Angelique Peres
Sport Physiotherapist on Board
Bárbara Cancela de Abreu
Nutricionist
Diogo Albergaria
Medical Doctor
Diogo Cardoso
Vídeo
Gonçalo Vilela Santos
Press and Communication
Francisco Lobato
Skipper support boat
Manuel Dantas
Support Boat Crew
Mário Almeida
Marketing & Shore Operation
Mário Teixeira Pinto
Crew / Navy Commander
Miguel Lacerda
Crew
Nuno Gameiro
Sport Physiotherapist
Tiago Marcelino
Crew / Logistics
CONTACTS
GENERAL General information, partnerships or other subjects.
PRESS & MEDIA
Get to know a little better our project.
LECTURES Take Francisco to your company, inspire your team.
All Rights Reserved – Francisco Lufinha – Copyright © 2017