There are very few water sports fans who don’t know Francisco Lufinha, the world record holder for the longest non-stop kitesurfing journey. In 2017, he set a new world record, along with Anke Brandt, after a 1,646 km journey. Francisco set a new world record in July 2015, after kitesurfing for 48 hours non stop between Lisbon and Madeira Island (862 km). What few people know is that behind such perseverance, adaptability and determination, the record holder is a Técnico alumnus, who does not forget the problem-solving skills and the rigour he learnt at Técnico.

His friends call him “Lufada”. He was only 15 days old when his parents took him to the ocean for the first time, and the desire to go back there had never left him. The ocean is both his refuge and his adrenaline. “I feel very comfortable when I am in the ocean, in such a way that when I am more than 2 or 3 days without seeing the ocean I start to get nervous”, he confesses. When he was 6 years old, he won the Portuguese sailing competition with his parents. At the age of 18, he led the 420 class national overall ranking and, at the age of 22, he became the world record holder for the longest non-stop kitesurfing journey.

“I chose Técnico because I think it’s the best and the most prestigious engineering school”, says Francisco Lufinha. He graduated in Industrial Engineering and Management, but his first choice was Computer Science and Engineering, which he attended for two years. “I really like programming and I still do it in several projects, but I decided to change to a more comprehensive course covering management subjects, in order to have more job opportunities”, he recalls.

The Técnico alumnus was one of the best students of his class and he recalls happy memories of his time at Técnico – Taguspark campus: “It was the time when I felt most free”. “I would do everything I did again and I would add some things”. “My best memory was learning how to think and manage my time well, in order to get good grades while participating in Kitesurfing competitions and travelling around the world as never before,” says the alumnus.

During his academic journey at Técnico, he managed to be national champion in 2005 and vice-champion in the following year. Francisco Lufinha finished his master’s degree in 2007. When we ask him how he managed to reconcile study and sports, he answered in a very simple manner: “It’s all about discipline. Having such an intense life and travelling so much, I really had to dedicate myself 200% to studying before the exams.”

He got his first job in a consulting firm and then he work on strategic marketing. The Técnico alumnus soon realised that he was not compatible with the very formal atmosphere at large companies. “I like to work in a relaxed way, without having to wear a suit and tie, and have the freedom to manage my time”, he says.

Francisco Lufinha is motivated by “bold challenges and ambitious projects”, so he decided to combine his professional future with his strong connection to the ocean, and created “Lufinha, LDA”, a company that runs 6 ocean-related business areas. The Técnico alumnus also created the project “Portugal é Mar” and Kitesurf Odyssey.

“I spend more than one year preparing myself for these adventures. When I am in the middle of the ocean, the more tired I am, the less fear I feel and I take a far more relaxed attitude”, he shares.

The alumnus takes care of everything related to these projects: development, organisation, funding and execution. “The good thing about so much work during the preparation of these projects is that it becomes a huge motivation to continue towards my goal in the most difficult moments when I think about giving up”, he confesses.

Francisco Lufinha recalls some amazing experiences. “I remember having a firework in the middle of my first challenge at 3 o’clock in the morning, dolphins jumping over my board in the middle of the night, being lost without my board in the dark for 30 minutes, surviving a run over by my support boat at 2 a.m, running with flying fish, etc”. “These experiences have marked me very much”, says Francisco Lufinha.

The passion and the constant search for adrenaline made him face “a new, bold challenge”, he says. “I want to build a fast and light kite boat, using wind turbines, solar energy, hydrogen… I’m not sure yet. I have to talk to potential sponsors and universities. I will contact Técnico to that effect, of course! Promoting ocean sustainability around the world is one of my goals”, he adds.

Francisco Lufinha considers himself “a very resilient person”, which has helped him to succeed.  “I am a bold person and that has helped me”, he says. According to the Técnico alumnus, the discipline and rigour he learnt at Técnico were essential: “I have managed to succeed by being self-disciplined and by knowing well the laws of physics, otherwise it was impossible”, he says.