May 17th SPRING SWAP MEET Starts 10am to ????

 

May 24 PETRA KANZ CLINIC (call shop/or email karabaszjp@... for details)

 

June 7 & 8 Starboard/Sailworks DEMO WEEKEND (w/ Roger & hopefully Ellen)

 

June 28th PETRA KANZ CLINIC

 

There is still more in the works  SUP Demo Tour, Beach party ect...) 

 

This board is truly amazing there are tons of reviews from Euro mags if you wanna read them hop over to the Starboards website. But I'm going to give you a bit of a different look.

 

 

Starboard introduced the Carve years ago it was a revolution in EASE of sailing & comfort that with upgraded design tweaks dominated the freeride board market. Even when the Carve first came out I (coming from a racing background) wanted more. OK, it was comfy & easy but I wanted more "Get up GO!" The Carve was a nice board but not my personal cup of tea. The other mfg's saw the success of the Carve and some tried to copy it. Boards like the Bic Techno 2, Mistral Explosions. They weren't to successful. Others took a different angle of attack, making a much faster freeride boards that were a bit more challenging to sail. Boards like the JP Excite FWS & the Fanatic Shark (in either construction) These models and others like them got more market interest each year.

 

So Starboards seeing this freeride market changing and after 9yrs of development on the Carves (feeling they've gone as far as that basic design could go) plus a need to consolidate their line. Starboard over 2yrs ago started prototyping & testing boards for the Futura line. They tested them against the Carve & other mfg's Freeride boards but they went a step further they tested the FUTURA against there own Supercross (S-Type) & Speed/Slalom (iSonic) board. The iSonic & the S-type are state of the art raceboards. With the FUTURA Starboard did the AMAZING a freeride board with a setup that is as "comfy" as the old Carves, and all but matches the speed & early planning of dedicated race boards, like the S-Type & iSonic. All I can say is WOW....You are probably thinking I must be hullicinating on Allergy drugs...But I'M NOT! and here is why.

 

Years & Years ago Starboard introduced us all to truly WIDE Boards (GO, STARTS, Carves Formulas ect...) Early planning, handles more sail ranges, ease of use ect... Everyone has jumped on this TRUELY AMMAZING DESIGN DEVELOPEMENT, and we've gone along happily for all these years (and will continue in the future). To get the amazing performance of the FUTURA they have continued with the advantages of width but have now delved into an over looked dimension ...

THICKNESS

I think they cover this best from the SB website

Wind range: 15% slimmer shapes combined with wider widths and low-nose rockerlines boost the Futuras' wind range at both ends: they plane up earlier and effortlessly in lightwinds and offer more control and comfort in highwinds.

Pure speed: the Futuras were benchmarked to beat the S-Types in speed. With concepts brought over from the development of the iSonics, the Futuras are faster with a sweet spot that covers a wider wind range.

Comfort: wider and thinner inherently means a more stable shape, before planing and when moving into the footstraps. The bottom line: it's just easier and more comfortable to get going.

Ride, handling and control: with its lowered centre of gravity, the Futura rider experiences a razor-sharp riding sensation with impeccable control. It's like switching from a truck-driving experience to that of a sports car.

Maneuverability: the team tested side by side two identical Futura 122 prototypes with identical rail shapes, identical bottom shapes and with only the thickness and the width changing: the wider and thinner Futuras respond quicker, faster and with more ease.

Upwind: Increased width makes the Futuras plane upwind with ease, which means more time spent riding free than trying to get back upwind to where you started from.
Summary:

• Thinner wider shapes with iSonic genetics
• S-Type speed, Carve comfort, iSonic range: impossible engineering made possible
• A quiver of two fins is highly recommended to bring out the best of the board

OK, Those who know me (my size) I'm NOT going to kid you here I have not nor will I claim extensive expertise on 100L and down models ...Yes I've sailed boards this small but so infrequently that it only happens when conditions are such that the National Gaurd is calling for mandatory evacutions of coastal area...yeah I mean it only then!

 

Over the winter here I've sailed the F111, F122, F144 & 155 in conditions from S Fla to Cali. Sails from 10.5 thru 6m all freeride sails.

 

Personally when I heard 15% reduced thickness I wasn't stoked, but onward I went. The first thing I noticed that "schlogging" out was no big deal (F111 & 122 on bigger boards it is obviously easy)

Got to the "wind line" and POP right up on a plane no wiggling, no wind up just POP and off I went (nice thing for a guy my size) But I wanted more (remember my Carve oppinion) So pointed my toes Sheeted in and I was going faster than I wanted w/o my feet in the strap. So I scrambled into the straps (set outboard Thanks to Jeff Feehan's suggestion) Figuring this to be a Plane killing action I was mentally prepared to start over...I was pleasantly surprised. Now Big feet (size 13) in straps & I was still planning the FUTURA seemed to be waiting for me to tell it what to do...GO FASTER Sheeting in again feet in the straps and off I went going pretty fast before pushing it to 5th gear (so to speak) I thought I'd look at the board see how it was "trimming out" (Folks DO NOT LOOK AT YOUR BOARD WHILE AT PLANNING SPEED it is a receipe for disaster, Remember I'm a proffessional (cough cough) don't do this at home. I noticed the release point (where the water comes off the rail) was at my front foot. The nose rose comfortablly above the oncoming & side chop. Things seemed fast & comfy. So I decided to push harder and see what this "puppy" could do. So pulling down (note not in) on my backhand extending my front leg and putting a god bit of back foot pressure and WHOOOOSH off we go passing people like a picket fence. I even passed a guy on a jet ski (7.5 Retro & FUTURA 144) who thought he was haul'n _ _ _! He asked me later "... got a motor on that THING?" Now, looking down (remember DO NOT do this at home) the release point is behind my front foot and the nose was still comfortably high (didn't get the feel I was going to stuff it or anything)

 

Most, of the time turning takes time. It is one of the continuing challenges of windsurfing (keeps us coming back...(or at least we tell ourselve such) So I think ... A thin board going blindingly fast me (a THICK GUY) this can't have a good initial out come (I was fully expecting a crash) Sheeted in, Stood up got on the rail and around we went NO PROBLEM...even easy. Hmmmm I thought not bad for a first try but remember I'm a PRO (everytime I write that I laugh) So I went for a wobbly jibe (not keeping pressure on inside rail) Again WOW I planed out with little/no effort. OK, I'm going to put this to the test how about the "Sheet out" then Jibe...yeah you know you do it I see you guys doing it all the time at the bay. And Still comfortable and although the FUTURA did not plane out it came close even with bad technique. So just for giggles I went for a FAST pivot Jibe And it handled that pivot like a wave board...WOW!

 

I also jumped it with better than satisfactory out come POPPED of the water easy and even in the bigger sizes didn't feel that big in the air (the short time I was there off a chop hop) I'm not going to try to kid anybody I did not attempt any true freestyle (less a few Duck Jibes) but the added width couldn't hurt here.

 

All I can say is I was more than STOKED with the new FUTURA I wonder if WS MAg just lost the review or what??????

 

WS Mag just completed a review of the FUTURA I guess they hacked into my email here (only kidding) Read mine & theirs (W/GRAIN OF SALT) come by the shop & check them out we "Should" have some demos soon too!

 

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Sailing, flatwater or waves opens up new areas & avenues of FUN 

 

	High Tides:
	4/5	11:26am
	4/6	12:12pm
	4/7	1:04pm
	4/8	2:01pm
For reference only

	Wind:
	Winter it's cold out there! Be careful out there! When in doubt don't go out!   Check the weather & Check your equipment. Make sure you have a "buddy" to sail with Saftey first and at least know where your wet.drysuit it. You don't need it yet!

NOTE: We are FORCED by dealer Agreement to post on our website ONLY Suggested Retail Price Call the warehouse Shop or email us directly at karabaszjp@...  (it's not our rule we just have to deal with it)