Starboard Free Race?

[rkdjones]

Weather is warming and I am shopping around for a fitness board for lake paddling.  I have spent a few years on a Starboard Big Easy and want a board with a displacement nose, and minimum rocker.  I think I will stick with a 12.6 board, around 30"wide.  I weigh 170 lbs, 68" tall.

I know there are a lot of epoxy boards that fit the bill in the $1500 to $2000 range.  I'd like to hear what folks who have paddled the Starboard Free Race (29") think about it for flatwater paddling.  How does it compare with other race boards that you have paddled?

Robert

[hdearing]

Robert,
I have paddled both the 29 and 31 inch wide Free Race boards. I am around 200 lb and stability is not an issue with either board. Ended up choosing the wider board as I do a lot of fishing from the board as well. Very fast in flat water and light chop in and around Sarasota. Surfs the small offshore breaks surprisingly well also (as long as you go in a straight line).  Love the thing. Don't have a lot of experience with other race boards, so I can't compare to anything else.


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[Canuck Kook]

I have a Big Easy and paddled a carbon Free Race in the BOP. I am 205 and 5'10", the free race is just as stable as the Big Easy and faster due to the displacement nose. I would go for the 29" as it would be a touch quicker due to the narrower width.
It's a great board but if you go faster you may want to consider the 2011 StarBoard Race boards 12'6" X 29.5".   

[greatdane]

Hey RKDJones... there is a guy in Bellingham selling a Starboard New for $1600, used about 5 times.  PM me if you are interested.

The New is a little more race specific, but at your weight, it would be very stable in flat water.  Good luck!

[PT Woody]

At your weight and given you want to stick with 12'6", I think the Surf Race would be a better board. It's narrower at about 27" but I think you could handle it as it's still a very stable board. I think the rocker on that one is also still reasonably flat. It's a great board, and that's backed up by the fact that it has been popular enough to continue into the 2011 range whereas the Free Race has been discontinued.

[rkdjones]

You make a good point about Star-board discontinuing the Free Race.  It was in production for one year only.  But I have only heard good things about Free Race, except that the nose catches a side wind.

It seems that almost all board makers really focus on race boards that can handle ocean conditions.  I think Star-board is trying to make boards that work in the ocean, and I suspect that the Free Race was not great in the waves.  I would think that a board optimized for flatwater paddling is a different animal.  And that is what I am looking for.  The only board maker that seems to focus on flatwater is Tahoe; their boards used be heavy but it looks like their 2011 boards are lighter. 

Robert

[PT Woody]

Yes I think the Free Race was some sort of attempt to update the Pin which was a terrific flat water board. I have the New, which is great for racing on lakes or the ocean but not so much for casual paddling. I also have a Pin, a 14' Open Ocean, and a K15 so I kind of have the whole flat water thing covered without the need for a Free Race. It's the one Starboard design that I just never got weak at the knees over. Not that you ever want to be weak at the knees while stand up paddling.