GUINCHO
South of Lisbon is a place where the wind and the waves can from time to time create exceptional conditions for the windsurfer that knows how to navigate them. I had the chance to enjoy it twice in the past, and it was to renew this experience that I decided to leave Marseille. While the wind forecast in Portugal was not really optimal, it was enough that Sophia (my wife) said to me, “You are going to sail, it will do you good!” to convince me. My father also rejoiced at my departure, “You go to Guincho, I am happy” he said on the phone. And so it was in Guincho that I finally jumped in the water the day of my arrival. The famous local thermal wind died a few minutes later, I was frustrated but the journey was only beginning.
During the summer of 1998 I went on my first windsurf road trip. It was with my parents in a motorhome and the destination was Guincho, a true Mecca of Windsurfing as Cape Town is now. We had little wind and a lot of time to surf, play rackets on the beach and visit Lisbon where the EXPO world exposition was held. We met a lot of nice people, a lot of Frenchies of course, but the fact that I was the youngest rider of the spot also allowed us to create links with many windsurfers of different nationalities: Armand, a Belgian 67 years old who lived a few kilometres from the spot and did not miss a single session; JP, who was then on his 15th trip to Guincho, this time with his companion Nathalie who was learning to sail; John, a Dutch daredevil board glasser / repairer, who came to Portugal with his boss, the shaper of the brand Brunotti and who was throwing suicidal push loops.