Starboard are credited with delivering so many innovations to the market. In many ways it could be argued that Starboard have shaped the modern (and now healthily growing) Windsurfing scene .

There is a clear pattern of leadership with other brands following -Without Starboard?s innovation we would still be waiting for:

The wide board revolution - this is the starting point of every modern concept from Formula through to the rangier wave boards that we ride today.

Super easy Beginner intermediate boards ? Start /Go- Starboard first to market

Which led to the development of:

* Formula boards- Formula ?Starboard first to market
* Short loose wave boards - Evos ? Starboard first to market
* Freeride - Carve - Starboard first to market
* Pitching Windsurfing at the new generation ? PRO KIDS ? first to market

The New slalom revolution - iSonic first to market. These boards are fast but incredibly easy to trim ? this technology , ironically,has led to the development of the latest FREERIDE revolution:

Starboard Futura - The revolution in Freeride

FUTURA 122 Review ? WINDSURF UK

TARGET:

Intermediate to Expert/Pro: Good range of use with early planing, comfortable speed, easy turns and good strap options for intermediate sailors through to quick performance with lively feel and great gibing performance for the more expert sailor quick yet controlled and great gibing.

RIDE AND HANDLING:

The 122 is one of the earliest to plane, rising smoothly and effortlessly and settling at a very comfortable speed that gives lots of confidence to the rider. Outboard and driving more against the edge of the board and the fin, the board releases further to reveal a very quick top gear which is extremely easy to achieve.The main difference with the Carve is that the Futura feels much more crisp and efficient while retaining the Carve's smooth control, both cruising and motoring. It sails very well on all points of sails, especially upwind and handles chop easily, gliding over the top. The board can handles bigger rigs easily and, rather than losing performance, seems to gain it and start to display superb freerace feel and performance. the Futura respondswith blistering performance. When off the plane the board is also very stable with good width and with its great flat deck.

MANOEUVRES:

The Futura has very versatile gybing characteristics - easy for early level gybers with lots of room for the foot change and an easy, smooth arc, and great performance if driven hard into the turn, the rail slicing through any water state cleanly and the board comingout with plenty of speed. Tacking is very accessible as well with the wide, flat deck, which extends into the nose.

+Ease of use combined with control and performance over a massive range, both in a straight line and in the corners The Futura really does have an even wider user appeal than the old Carve!

-Not much to fault, but lively feel in windier conditions and heavier chop might be less attractive to those who liked the very smooth feel of the Carve.

FUTURA 122 Review

GERMAN SURF

It rides and very free over the water, so that you get the feeling of just touching the water surface with only the last centimeters. And we can assure anybody who is scared of wide boards that the board sits more stable in both it's longitudinal axis and transverse axis compared to all other boards.

Some body tension is needed to enjoy the efficient grip of the powerful fin, which persists in top speed and shakes off most of any pursuers. When you first look at it you may suspect, it's a pure Freerace board. That's partly true, because on one hand the characteristics give the impression of sailing a modern Slalom board. On the other hand intermediate sailors profit from a stable planing position and the great stability in non-planing conditions. Additionally the board turns tighter than expected. In direct comparison, the board feels a bit slowed down when you start to plan passively when it needs some meters to get to speed.

Conclusion:An extremely fast board with sporty feeling and great qualities for recreational jibers too.

SURF-tip: For intermediate sailors and sailors with racing ambition

ACID 74 REVIEW

GERMAN SURF

No other production board has more grip and runs more constant on the rail in big waves. Already a sailor with an average level can sail lines extremely fast. Everybody, who stays while the wintertime in Southafrica or at a similar spot makes no fault taking an Acid. For smaller less powerful waves there are better options amongst the radical boards. Making shorter turns needs more physical power and even than it is not so easy to keep the board fast and narrow on the wave, compared to the other boards, which are more for overall use. Starboard delivers the most extreme down the line machine, which you can buy in in the shop. It is a board for good wavesailors, who sail the big waves over the front leg.

KOMBAT -The loosest Cross Over board

KOMBAT 89 REVIEW

WIND SURFING USA