Mast 85 cm | Material: carbon wings, alu mast & fuselage | Surface front: 800 cm2 & back 330 cm2 | Price € 1,199
Starboard can be seen as the forerunner in the field of wind foiling. In 2019, the range will be expanded considerably again. Fortunately, Starboard will again use the modular system in 2019, making parts interchangeable. During the crazy event DAM-X we were able to get acquainted with a very interesting new foil of Starboard, the Starboard GT-R Aluminium.
In the race circuit, a lot of windsurfers use the Starboard foil carbon race, with the long fuselage of 115 cm. This foil is not only very fast but also provides tons of lift. Especially for wind foilers of about 80 kg or more pleasant to be able to wind fast and long. Starboard’s alum foils are particularly characterized by the quiet and stable foil behaviour, but are less likely to go into the air. There is still room for new variants between the carbon race and starboard’s more freeride-oriented wind foils. The Starboard foil GT-R aluminium will come in 2019 to close this gap.
Starboard GT-R Aluminium freerace oriented
We enjoy the fantastic late summer at the Brouwersdam during the Dam-X weekend of wind and the sun. I’ve been foiling all day with the Starboard foil 122 with the Starboard freeride foil. A combination that allows you to freeride relaxed. Starboard’s Dutch distributor had 1 copy of the new GT-R I could try. I’m changing the Freeride foil for the GT-R aluminium for an hour.
At first glance there is much the same (left for the picture is the GT-R and right back is the Freeride) The wings we already know of the Starboard GT foil and also the shape of the mast and fuselage are no different than on the GT aluminium. But the mast is now not 75 cm but 85 cm and the fuselage is now not 75 cm but 95 cm. The longer fuselage ensures that you get much faster and much more lift. The whole feels solid and trusts. The water on then!
It immediately becomes clear that the longer fuselage is doing its job particularly well. The board rises much faster than the freeride and also stays in the air longer than the freeride. The character is more challenging and clearly faster. During reaching coarses (there was about 16 to 18 knots of wind) the foil generated a lot of lift, I had to put a lot more pressure on my front foot so as not to get up too much. The slightly longer mast is therefore welcome! As with the carbon race, this foil likes to wind up and you can push h’m well. You also keep good pressure on downwind.
This wind foil has been given a distinctly different character by the longer fuselage. The friendly of the freeride aluminium is gone and he tends much more towards a race foil, where the sharp edges of the extreme race are carbon off.
Aluminium mast stiffer than carbon mast
During foiling it stands out how stiff the mast is. There is much less ‘twist’ in it than the carbon mast of 85 cm. This will benefit the performance. There will also be a Starboard alum wind foil with a mast of 95 cm. I can imagine that this mast too will be pretty stiff.
Very good wind foil for many different wind foilers
Last year I preferred to learn wind foils with the Starboard Freeride, because it is very stable and forgiving. Good with little wind and also with a lot of wind, for lighter people and persons up to about 80 kg. With the arrival of the GT-R, it can just happen that with little wind and/or with heavier people I prefer the GT-R over the Freeride. It comes up so quickly and easily and can also be easily controlled with not too much wind. At least we’ve already ordered one!
In addition, this is also a very suitable wind foil for people who want to be challenged, like to go up and down wind, without wanting to go too extreme. For the freeracers. Then we have a third group of the competition oriented kids or ladies to pack and bite 60 kg. The fuselage of 115 cm is for this group with a little wind too much. This foil can then be the solution nicely, without sacrificing ‘early take-off’ and speed.