But I figured that as all manufactures are adopting this new tail shape, maybe I will actually feel a real performance improvement, hopefully??
All manufactures ??!! But not the one leading the PWA at the moment.
I love these boards, but can't stand / don't believe the marketing BS. Every year, these boards are sooo much better than the previous boards. This goes for all brands. Except maybe Fanatic? Did they say one year that they were happy with the boards, so they just painted them red that year? Can't remember.
Rant over - I'm going for a sail on my vastly improved 2012 iSonic90. Sooo much better than the 2011. Look how much better it is!!
I agree and there are builders (Patrik) who make quite a point against it. But ... starboard have changed significantly in just the last few years (look at the 97 or 86) and the direction is quite consistent. To name a few: even wider, shorter, with complex cut outs that add foot platform while making the "tail" very narrow ... they must believe they are building better boards, which they probably are. RRD (not to mention Patrik) seems more conservative in evolution, but starboard designers were proven right before ...
............................RRD (not to mention Patrik) seems more conservative in evolution, but starboard designers were proven right before ...
I believe that it was RRD that commercially introduced the "Toro tail" first with Starboard copying it for their next years release. That said StarBoard did provide a fairly radical departure in tail design with their 2014 iS90.
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/Review/RRD-X-Fire-LTD-V4-2012/
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/Review/Starboard-2013/?page=1
............................RRD (not to mention Patrik) seems more conservative in evolution, but starboard designers were proven right before ...
I believe that it was RRD that commercially introduced the "Toro tail" first with Starboard copying it for their next years release. That said StarBoard did provide a fairly radical departure in tail design with their 2014 iS90.
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/Review/RRD-X-Fire-LTD-V4-2012/
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/Review/Starboard-2013/?page=1
Yes, you are correct: the "platforms" were introduced by RRD. Probably something that was in the air, as Patrik and Starboard did have platforms on Formula I think even earlier ...