Author Topic: 2016 Starboard Sprint 14x23 is coming  (Read 13399 times)

photofr

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2016 Starboard Sprint 14x23 is coming
« on: February 26, 2016, 11:39:01 AM »
I have spent about a year and a half training hard: Technique, Balance, and Endurance. It's 2016, and I think I am ready to really try out different boards.

My first choice was: AllStar 14x23 (yes, I did say AllStar)
I placed my order, and my board should arrive in France towards the end of March. As far as I know, it will be the only one in France, and perhaps one of the very few in all of Europe, so there's no real feedback on that board yet.

Still, I plan on using my AllStar as my all-around board, my go-to board for every day paddling in Brittany, France. Frankly, I can't wait until I receive this board. I suspect it will be tons more stable than my 17'6 x 23 that I have paddled extensively - but only time will tell.

All of this waiting around got me thinking… what about the ULTIMATE FLAT WATER 14' board on the market? What about this 2016 Sprint?

The Sprint and the AllStar are both 14' x 23" - but Sprint is supposed to totally excel in flat water. More importantly, the 2016 Sprint was in stock  :-X

Any way, needless to say, the 14' x 23" Sprint is coming. It should be here this Wednesday. It should arrive just before my mother's birthday (don't worry: the board is for me).

GOAL:
I'll see how my training goes, and how I further progress within the next few months, but my goal would be to at least participate in the 11-City Tour (a 200 km race in Holland) - with this "Weapon of Choice".

If nothing else, it will keep my mind very occupied for the next 3 weeks while I impatiently wait for the AllStar (my dream board) to arrive.

I'll keep you posted on the progress.
 
Nelo SUP - 14' x 23"
Nelo Surfski 560M - 18'4" x 17"

Area 10

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Re: 2016 Starboard Sprint 14x23 is coming
« Reply #1 on: February 26, 2016, 12:19:17 PM »
Great to read someone else who gets as excited about a new board arrival as I do.

Why do you think that the All Star will be more stable than your 17fter of the same width?

I think if I was your weight and had your skills I'd get a SIC X14Pro Lite. But that's just dreaming...

photofr

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Re: 2016 Starboard Sprint 14x23 is coming
« Reply #2 on: February 26, 2016, 02:06:45 PM »
Believe me: I know how you feel.
I now live in France - and it just occurred to me that my behavior is inappropriate : "One should never loose sleep over a new board coming in". Perhaps the correct way to handle this situation might be best described as:
"Remain calm, remain modest, and nonchalant regarding this very exciting moment in your life".

I am willing to learn a lot of new things, but sorry: I'll soon be 48 and there's no way in hell I won't jump up & down after ordering anything.  :-X


There are (in my opinion) two main reasons why the 14x23 would be way more stable than my 17'6 x 23". Mind you, I take the UL into open ocean with 1 to 3-foot seas, confused seas at times.

#1
The UL is 23" at the widest point, however, it is a needle-nose and pin-tailed design. To me, this translates into a board that has very little surface on the water up front and in the rear. The better way to look at it:

To answer your question though:
The UL is 17'6 long - but only has a length of about 3 feet that is actually 22" in width.
The AllStar is 14' long - but has about 10 feet that are at least 22" in width.
Essentially, the AllStar has a lot more wetted area width than the UL.

#2
The UL has super soft rails.
The AllStar can best be perceived as a Catamaran with the squarest of rails.

#3 (BONUS)
On the UL, your feet are inside the recessed deck. My 2014 model doesn't provide additional cut-offs for width.
On the AllStar, I'll have about 6 additional inches for my stance, when the going gets rough and completely "out of hand".

Disclaimer: I have paddled the 17'6 x 23" (2000+ km), but have only spent a short time on a 14x25 AllStar (2 sessions, under 40 km) - so this is all very theoretical until I can provide real-life feedback.

SIC has had a terrible time getting started in France.
I am somewhat familiar with their open water boards, but not their X-series - and no one is going out of their way to demo any of it here.
« Last Edit: February 26, 2016, 02:25:36 PM by photofr »
Nelo SUP - 14' x 23"
Nelo Surfski 560M - 18'4" x 17"

Muskoka SUP

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Re: 2016 Starboard Sprint 14x23 is coming
« Reply #3 on: February 26, 2016, 02:33:55 PM »
I applaud you're excitement photofr !   No need to demonstrate sangfroid... You should be totally stoked... I too am expecting a new board, but not until May.  I look at it as a just reward for myself.. Life's too short not to buy yourself what you want, and that which makes you happy.  There's a lot worse ways you could be spending your money. 

As for the 14 X 23" boards...  What could go wrong...  ;D.. I'm guessing as long as you put the power down and keep paddling you'll do fine.. I tried a 12-6 X 23" SB New a few years back, and managed not to swim...I think that with any board, being persistent and dedicated to learning it's nuances in all conditions pays off in spades.  Bon chance! 

It ain't over until the fat board sinks....

photofr

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Re: 2016 Starboard Sprint 14x23 is coming
« Reply #4 on: February 26, 2016, 02:49:22 PM »
As for the 14 X 23" boards...  What could go wrong...  ;D..

Thanks.
Basically, I was thinking the same thing the other day: "What could go wrong?"
After all, we didn't get into SUP because we hated water… no way!
I believe everyone on this forum probably loves water - so what's up with that fear of falling into the WATER ?

If I'm gonna fall, I gonna - but like most of you, I am persistent (perhaps the word in English is stubborn as $*#&%)
Nelo SUP - 14' x 23"
Nelo Surfski 560M - 18'4" x 17"

TN_SUP

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Re: 2016 Starboard Sprint 14x23 is coming
« Reply #5 on: February 26, 2016, 04:39:33 PM »
Falling on a flat deck is different than falling on a recessed deck, the raised edges on recessed decks can hurt, so make sure to hit the water. I feel that the recessed deck of the Sprint makes paddling more efficient and easier to apply core power. My pro lite is a bit faster than my '12 14x25 Sprint, but find myself wanting the new Sprint. Interesting that ProLite has convex bottom versus Sprint's concave, but the SIC feels more stable.
'13 SB Sprint, '15 SIC X-14 ProLite, RH Coastal Cruiser, Think EZE Ski, Kenalu Konihi 84  & Mana

photofr

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Re: 2016 Starboard Sprint 14x23 is coming
« Reply #6 on: February 26, 2016, 11:52:23 PM »
Yeah, for sure: I'd rather fall on a flat board like the All Star.
On the other hand, let's face it: falling on a recessed deck (or any SUP for that matter) is way safer than most sports I have done: alpine skiing, rock climbing, bouldering, mountain biking, etc…

In the meantime, here's to recessed decks :)







For sure, there are some really good brands out there: SIC being near the top of my list, including Mistral, 404, Hobbie etc… I keep trying boards, but I admit: it's very hard not to love the Starboard Sprint 17'6 (but very few people have one).

On the other hand, there are so many people just raving about the speed and stability of the 2015 and 2016 14x23 Sprint that I had to give it a shot.

On a side note, I am not even sure that the 2016 model differs from the 2015 - aside from the obvious bright colors added to the 2016 model. AH… couple more days of torture, and then the board arrives.

Nelo SUP - 14' x 23"
Nelo Surfski 560M - 18'4" x 17"

Area 10

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Re: 2016 Starboard Sprint 14x23 is coming
« Reply #7 on: February 27, 2016, 01:08:53 AM »
Well, I have the ultimate recessed deck board - an Ace (14x25), and without the recess I doubt I'd be able to paddle it at all. But getting back into it after a fall in rough conditions certainly requires mental fortitude. So it's swings and roundabouts. But whatever your attitude to recessed decks, you have to give credit to Starboard for innovation on that front. No other brand has, to my knowledge, taken that degree of risk in supporting such an unusual design feature. Recessed decks certainly do achieve what they set out to achieve.

photofr

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Re: 2016 Starboard Sprint 14x23 is coming
« Reply #8 on: February 27, 2016, 01:22:53 AM »
Starboard took a lot of "heat" with the recessed decks, especially at the beginning, specifically for their Ace model. There were name calling, including Flower Bed (I am sure it's mis-translated from the french Bac à Fleurs). In the end, it's a great concept - for stability.

Here's something that may help more than one person.
I am sure you are all able to get back onto your boards, some times less graceful than other times, but I am sure that you eventually make it.

When you are in the water, swimming with your head out of the water, you eventually reach your board. Your instinct my be to immediately climb back aboard… well, DON'T.

Instead, take a quick breathe or two while still holding onto the side of your rails. Now, take one last breathe, dunk your head into the water, kick your feet like crazy for propulsion, pull yourself a bit with the rail grip and basically rocket out of the water and onto your board. If you are unsure, just look at how a Dolphin will beach itself on a pier - they always go under water before trying to get out of the water.

Any variation of the above will work far better than: head out of the water, attempting to now get body out of the water and onto board.
Nelo SUP - 14' x 23"
Nelo Surfski 560M - 18'4" x 17"

TN_SUP

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Re: 2016 Starboard Sprint 14x23 is coming
« Reply #9 on: February 27, 2016, 06:27:32 AM »
After paddling the SB recessed deck for 3 years, it's taking awhile to adjust the mechanics of my stroke to the taller SIC.
'13 SB Sprint, '15 SIC X-14 ProLite, RH Coastal Cruiser, Think EZE Ski, Kenalu Konihi 84  & Mana

pdxmike

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Re: 2016 Starboard Sprint 14x23 is coming
« Reply #10 on: February 27, 2016, 12:34:02 PM »
But whatever your attitude to recessed decks, you have to give credit to Starboard for innovation on that front. No other brand has, to my knowledge, taken that degree of risk in supporting such an unusual design feature. Recessed decks certainly do achieve what they set out to achieve.
I've always admired Starboard for that.  I still remember being blown away the first time I saw an Ace--someone going completely against the thinking that standup boards should look like surfboards.  A couple years ago, when a certain association tried to freeze board design in place with arbitrary rules, and then went beyond even that to try to get board manufacturers to agree not to sell boards that didn't fall within the arbitrary specs, I had a long email discussion with Svein from Starboard, since several of Starboard's models would have become illegal for racing due to deep recesses, had that association been successful in convincing any races to adopt their rules.  I still am impressed that he took so much effort (as did Robbie Naish) to discuss that whole board-design issue with me.

Luckily that clamor for regulations seems to have died off.  I don't see recess depths listed on Starboard's board specs, but they're at least staying pretty deep.  And if you think about it, the several other manufacturers who have pursued the extreme "boof-nose" shapes are in a way doing recessed decks, at least in that the standing areas are much lower than the deep nose.  It's just that they didn't leave the high rails alongside the deck as Starboard does.  However you do it, getting the standing area low really is a great tool for improving performance, and shouldn't be discouraged.
« Last Edit: February 27, 2016, 12:44:04 PM by pdxmike »

photofr

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Re: 2016 Starboard Sprint 14x23 is coming
« Reply #11 on: February 27, 2016, 01:03:55 PM »
As a side note, but along those same lines:
I admit that I found my 17'6 x 23" quite tippy when I first got started in SUP. After about a month, I progressed some, and felt more and more comfortable as time went by. Don't get me wrong: the recessed deck on that board worked great, I was just not up for it (and far from it at first).

A few months later, I was paddling in 2-3 foot seas - just to point out that I was very comfortable with that board and its recessed deck. HOWEVER, one day, I was playing around and climbed aboard with a pair of tennis shoes. It's not like I had high heels on or anything…  ;D … but that extra 1.5" was insane: it made the board feel as tippy as day one!

The moral of the story: I totally vouch two things:
- The recessed deck ads an amazing amount of stability.
- With time, we adapt very well to tippier boards (it does take time).

The 14'x23" should be, if nothing more, a tons of fun & glides on the flats - but I have a feeling I will be using in for trips like my favorite 35km Inter-Island run.
Nelo SUP - 14' x 23"
Nelo Surfski 560M - 18'4" x 17"

photofr

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Re: 2016 Starboard Sprint 14x23 is coming
« Reply #12 on: March 02, 2016, 12:38:08 PM »
My Sprint 14 x 23" board arrived today at about 4pm. Opening big boxes is like Christmas, and I like it.



After waiting like 4 days for the truck to arrive (imagine day & night, looking at every single truck that passes by the house) I quickly unpacked it while my wife took couple of photos.

At first, I could only tell you two things:
The board's colors were stunning and they really POP.
My Sprint 14 x 23" is very light.

Then came the bad part: waiting for the tide to come in to take it out for a spin. The weather wasn't the best, but what the heck.

I am in Brittany, France - and right now, there are strong winds, and massive gusts exceeding well over 40 MPH. I took the board out at about 6:30PM, and went for an hour to "check it out".

A full review will follow (after I spend at least 20 hours on the board) but I just wanted to give you my first impressions:
-  The 14 x 23" Sprint is super stable
Way more stable than my 12'6 x 24" Sprint (2014 model), tons more stable than my 17'6 x 23" Sprint, and still more stable in the flats or chop than my old 14 x 25" Race.

-  It is very predictable.
In the chop, this board is super predictable; zero surprises. I have only had one board that I would consider more stable in the chop; that would be my 14 x 28" Racer iSUP. All other boards I have will not even compare to how stable this board is with side wind and wide chop.

-  Down Breeze, this thing flies
Those wind-driven waves were small, but the board showed a super steady pace the entire way back. There are easier boards to catch bumps - this is not it - but this one will flew on the Down Breeze by keeping steady fast speeds.

-  Up wind, the board can hold its own
My 17'6 x 23" Sprint is faster upwind, but the 14 x 23" Sprint felt like it wasn't far behind. This is definitely one that I will be testing in the near future for a more accurate feedback. In the meantime, and without a doubt though, the 14 x 23" Sprint was more pleasant going upwind than the 17'6. The added stability was especially welcomed today.

-  The comfort is…
unlike any other board I have been on to date. I feel weird talking about comfort in regards to a full-on race board, but I spend hours on boards… and this was one of my very first impressions.

-  Carry handle is …
totally incorporated into the board - it's part of the sidewalls. It also serves gives you additional space to widen your stance. Right about now, I am thinking about doing the same thing to my 2014 12'6 x 24" Sprint.

In any case, I will do my best to provide details, GPS data, and a real comparison. For now, my first impressions and feelings is all I can provide regarding this board.

MORE PHOTOS: https://photofr.smugmug.com/FindYourPhotos-1/2016-Event-Photos/2016-Mar-02-Starboard-SPRINT
Nelo SUP - 14' x 23"
Nelo Surfski 560M - 18'4" x 17"

Glowmaster

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Re: 2016 Starboard Sprint 14x23 is coming
« Reply #13 on: March 02, 2016, 02:12:43 PM »
Very nice!

Thanks for the review and enjoy it in the best of health!


ed

photofr

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Re: 2016 Starboard Sprint 14x23 REVIEW
« Reply #14 on: March 03, 2016, 09:23:58 AM »
THE BOARD
Nice & Light



STABILITY
Plenty of it, and you'll be surprised (at least in the flats)



PREDICTABLE
No surprise, perhaps that's why I find it comfortable



PLAYFUL
I know where it gets its name from… it just loves to sprint and go fast. Sometimes though, you just have to have some fun too.
Nelo SUP - 14' x 23"
Nelo Surfski 560M - 18'4" x 17"

 


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