(Cleaned up version!! I agree that their wording was a little bit excited & optimistic, but hopefully they will be the fastest....after release!!)
I defer to your knowledge Chris.. but await the final specs..
Maybe we'll have to have a Starboard - F2 challenge cup!
Starboard have just announced the release of exact replicas of Antoine's 3 speed boards.
They will hopefully be in the shop by the later part of June..... (Probably August)
• iSonic Speed Specials:
• Three models: W44, W49 and W53
• Designed by Christophe Fiorentini, replicas of
Antoine Albeau’s boards
MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY – THE FINAL FRONTIER
Competing and winning has been
the drive of the Starboard Dream Team since
day one. Speed remains the final frontier.
50 knots and a new Speed Sailing World Record are
the next challenge.
On March 5th 2007, Dream Team rider Antoine
Albeau takes a Starboard-built custom board to break
the record and set a new benchmark in the world of
wind-powered sports.
For 2009, Starboard is proud to introduce a
collection of three new iSonic Speed Specials, exact
replicas of the boards Antoine used to take home the
World Speed Champion title. Designed by Christophe
Fiorentini, these three speed boards are simply some of
the fastest boards in the World.
Christophe Fiorentini: “I have been working actively
on the shape of these 3 speed boards since 2005.
In the course of events I have improved the design of
each of these boards. To define the ideal
characteristics, we tested boards in the South of
France (a spot with very irregular winds and with
both flat and choppy water conditions) but also in
Fuerteventura (150° angle with light wind) and in
Namibia (square conditions with 100° angle). Under
your feet, the boards accelerate with a great feeling
of ease. The boards have a neutral trim so that wind
lulls and gusts can be coped with effortlessly and
with maximum efficiency. The great special feature of
these boards is that they keep the speed generated
by a gust of wind for a very long time. The double
concave is tailored individually on each model to
blend acceleration on flat water and comfort. See the
next page for our recommendation for what fins and
sails to choose.”
MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY– THE FINAL FRONTIER
iSonic Speed special W44
Sails: 4.0 to 6.5
Ultra flat water: 20cm fin
Flat water: 22cm fin
All-round conditions: 24cm fin
Choppy/lightwind: 26cm fin
iSonic Speed special W49
Sails: 5.0 to 6.8
Ultra flat water: 22cm fin
Flat water: 24cm fin
All-round conditions: 26cm fin
Choppy/lightwind: 28cm fin
iSonic Speed special W53
Sails: 5.5 to 7.5
Ultra flat water: 26cm fin
Flat water: 28cm fin
All-round conditions: 30cm fin
Choppy/lightwind: 32cm fin
www.2ndwind.com.au
Sometimes you read a load of marketing hype and this is one of those times. How can a company and its reps claim "iSonic Speed Specials: the World’s fastest production boards" On the same day Patrik Diethelm set the record for the world's fastest production board, the f2 Missile XS, at 46.57 knots. Starboard readily admit "On March 5th 2007, Dream Team rider Antoine Albeau takes a Starboard-built custom board to break the record and set a new benchmark in the world of wind-powered sports."
I thought these irresponsible marketing claims vanished with the last century, seems they are alive and well and appearing here. All credit to Antoine for his remarkable achievements in speed and with all the other world championships he has won but Starboard does themselves no credit with these ridiculous claims of the world's fastest production boards.
Go get em Tiger!
I do agree with you.
From the Masters of Speed Website
So what about Chris Lockwoods carbon art boards. As far as i know they are just production boards.
He would surely be close to holding the world speed record for production boards
Hi nebs- you pointed out my second fastest run for this year... but last year was a bit faster (had a 46 and a 47/500).
Need to point out that Patrik did an excellent speed on the canal under the watchful eye of a WSSRC observer. This gives his speed WSSRC certification. So fastest officially recognised speed on a production board is Patrik's.
The Carbon Art boards as I have been using for the last year and a half are made as any other CA production board, except that they hadn't been registered with ISAF. You will see ISAF stickers on them in the near future and I will be racing them this year in the ISWC production class.
There are a few inconsistencies in that SB "release" from Jez. Although some have quite clearly been pointed out already, there are more subtle ones, such as the boards being used on the canal by AA are clearly far smaller than will be available from SB (unless W44 is 37cm wide?).
I also had a look at the board AA used to win the Speed title last year. It was the same board he used in Karpathos and Namibia to get his best times, is 52cm wide and was made back in '04/'05. He used it to win the PSL worldcup that season when he was still with AHD. However, I did see him testing one of CFC's boards in Namibia.
If Antoine chooses to race on these production SBs this season he will still go fast. Like Bjorn, the guy goes fast on anything.
At last Christophe Fiorentini gets the credits he deserves.
For speed, A2 always used CFC boards with Starboard stickers on them.
Here's a nice photo album of the building process of one of his boards. Of course the really important things are not on photo ;)
icks.icks.free.fr/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=352
Nice website and forum too, at transjai
Maybe I didn't read the first "little bit excited and optimistic" version. So I will pull my head in if it was an outrageous claim.
Good idea editing out those comments Jez.
"hopefully they will be the fastest....after release!!" 
Theres a whole speed season ahead to determine that, and right now DBW is getting epic conditions. Already seeing 46 peaks.
Frant, yes I think Roo's comments were spot on and not too harsh at all in light of the original unedited post.
Menno, do you know if CF built that old board that AA was using last season? I know he was trying out some more recent starboard stickered CF boards last year, but always seemed to revert to his old favorite.
Christophe's a top bloke and I second that its great he gets a bit of recognition for his efforts over the years.
Does anyone know what the dimensions of the (W44, W49 and W53) actually are. They sound like widths, but might be volume. What are the stats; width, volume, length, tail width etc
I see Star-board is still are guilding the lilly a bit on their web site. As a reminder here is what they say.
A great day for Windsurfing and Antoine Albeau who set the new all-category world sailing speed record at 49.09 knots or 90.91 Km/H
Despite the harsh conditions Antoine was on top form and managed to set the record on his third attempt. With Antoine's first attempt registering at 47.10 spectators where waiting anxiously for his following attempts. His second run registered at 48.14 knots it was obvious Antoine was in a class of his own, and with an unexpected final run to come Antoine excelled and registered a speed of 49.09 Knots on a Starboard windsurfer
The location was Saintes-maries-de-la-mer with severe weather alerts and fore casts of 45 - 50 knots of wind, the conditions were looking favorable however it would take the top speed sailors in the world to start breaking records. It was apparent by just looking at the kit selection that it was an all or nothing day, boards ranging from 34cm - 37cm in width and maximum sail size of 5.0 m2. Defending world record holder Finian Maynard was also amongst the sailors that had come to participate in some record-breaking attempts.
Jim Drake the inventor of windsurfing was delighted to hear the latest news and quoted: "I'm proud to have had a part in two spectacular world records. The X-15 manned airplane speed record and Antoine's current Record to date. The x 15 record was set in 1967 and is yet to be beaten.Now we are faced with the 50 knots barrier, in aviation for many years the sonic barrier was thought to be impenetrable. However this barrier was broken and the same will go for sailing and windsurfing. The equipment needed to break this barrier will be of different design to the norm, but then don't forget the planes that broke the sonic barrier were also of different design. - Congratulations Antoine"
Antoine Albeau's quote on how he felt during the 500 meter run:"It was really scary but at the same time really exciting. I am really really happy and pleased with the result."
The time keepers posted a record of Antioines 9 runs made that day which are at odds with Starboards account.
Run 1 - Start : 08.34.53.790. Finish : 08.35.14.410. Speed : 47.14 Knots.
Run 2 - Start : 08:59:12:800. Finish : 08:59:36:860. Speed : 40.40 Knots.
Run 3 - Start : 09:13:50:820. Finish : 09:14:12:850. Speed : 44.12 Knots.
Run 4 - Start : 09:38:07.350. Finish : 09:38:28.310. Speed : 46.37 Knots.
Run 5 - Fall at start
Run 6 - Start : 11:48:03.060. Finish : 11:48:23.250. Speed : 48.14 Knots.
Run 7 - Start : 12:12:36.530. Finish : 12:12:56.330. Speed : 49.09 Knots !!!
Run 8 - Start : 15h. Fall 170 metres after the start (instantaneous speed from the start camera 49.91 knots, calculated over 5m).
Run 9 - Start : 18:22:29.830. Finish : 18:22:56.810. Speed : 36.03 Knots.
Christophe Fiorentini on his web site says Antoine was riding a CFC 36 speed gun. ( http://fiorentini.fra619.cegetel.net.perso.cegetel.net/Riders%20CFC.html )
Antoine himself on www.windsurfjournal.com says he was using a special Deboichet fin. I am interested in knowing what part Jim Drake had in Antoine record? Signing him to Starboard?
Interesting all the CFCs had a particular look such as his 230*48*29
However I have seen a new one with a Starboard iSonic type tail. I wonder if it was one of the 3 three protos he made for Starboard? If it is, I wonder at the logic of taking a good , well tested and refined design then changing it so it fits into your marketing image.....
Here is the scoop profile..
