Anchor Point

Anchor Point is famed as one of Morocco’s best waves. Situated in Taghazout village, just north of Agadir, it’s along right hander with a rocky launch and rarely works for windsurfing. Boujmaa Guilloul did manage to score it though; John Carter finds out more about his session there and the life of the Moroccan wavesailing master.

- John Carter, Boujmaa Guilloul

JC - Talk us through Anchor Point’s setup. BG - Anchor point is about a 2 hour drive from Moulay and needs wind with a good westerly angle, if it’s north or east, it’s a no go. Best wind would be a NNW wind, 25-30 knots and a solid WNW swell with a good 16 second and up period, then the surfers hardly get up the point and it makes more space for windsurfing. Mostly it works in winter for wind and waves; otherwise it is a very fun surf spot that also breaks every now and then in summer time. The launch at Anchor Point is challenging. The day I sailed it was tricky, no wind, big shorebreak and a strong current on the inside. Luckily I went out with my friend on a jet ski and rigged out the back; thanks to him the launch was possible! JC - What was it like dealing with all the surfers at Anchor Point? BG - Being Moroccan, the local surfers were very cool with me, especially as I wasn’t taking all the waves. The foreigners were ok, although I could see fear and anger in their eyes, I am not sure if they liked that I was there. Slaloming between the surfers was very scary for me too and I had to focus more on them then on the waves I was riding. With so much wind and it being dead offshore, sometimes I wasn’t sure about my line between all of them and had to lay the board slowly on the rail and avoid the most critical sections. The wave is easy to read and sail, it is a perfect wave with barely any chop; it was harder to read the surfers moves more than anything else. In general it’s such a fun wave to carve down the line on more than do aerials etc. as with the offshore wind you get ejected easily out the back.

JC - How strong is the windsurf scene in Morocco compared to surfing?