Starboard PIN vs 2010 Starboard Race Wave 12'6

[Kiwi-SUP]

Has anybody tried out the new Starboard 12'6" boards for 2010? I am wanting to buy a race board for downwinders and have tried a Starboard PIN which went well but I am interested to know if the new board shapes are a big improvement or are they just more tippy? Any other suggestions for downwind race boards in the 12'6" category greatly appreciated.

[greatdane]

Hey Kiwi... I have only paddled some different variations of the Starboard "New."  One of the main design points with the new boards is that they are narrower, but they have lowered the standing area so much, that they feel as stable as a wider board without a dropped-deck.  The one I paddled was 26" wide and felt as stable as my Pin.

I found my Pin to be pretty unstable for a 30" wide board, compared to the new generation of boards with lower centers of gravity....

I'm not sure the "New" would be considered a "downwind" board though...

Just my opinion of course... I am 6'1" & 185lbs....

[Easy Rider]

Hi

I have tried the new Starboard race boards.
MY OPINION for a 12'6" downwinder from Starboard would be either the Surf Race or the Free Race.

The NEW is quite narrow and is not really meant for surf - although EJ and Brian can surf them.
The Surf race is fairly narrow at only 26.5".
The Free Race is the newer version of the Pin.   It comes in 2 widths - 29" and 31"  From all accounts the 31" can produce the same speeds as the 29". 
IF it was me buying a 12'6" for downwinders - I would get the Free Race in 31"

my 2¢

[Kiwi-SUP]

Thanks for the feedback. I was thing that the choice would probably be between the Free Race and the Surf Race. The pictures on the Starboard 2010 website show a square tail on the surf race but the catelogue of the the different models side by side indicate a pin tail like the old PIN Starboard. Any pics or further info on the new Free Race and Surf Race boards are very much appreciated. Cheers.

[DavidJohn]

My friend (Jonathan) has the Starboard pin now and he also has the new SurfRace on order.

He should have it soon so we can do a comparo between the two.

DJ

[Kiwi-SUP]

Thanks David.
If you can post some photos as well that would be brilliant. Did your friend go for the carbon or the EPS construction for the new board? You have a Naish Glide - how does the PIN compare against that? Cheers
G.

[DavidJohn]

Thanks David.
If you can post some photos as well that would be brilliant. Did your friend go for the carbon or the EPS construction for the new board? You have a Naish Glide - how does the PIN compare against that? Cheers
G.

Jonathan has gone for the red stripe (the carbon) and his 12'6" Starboard Pin is defiantly faster than my 12' Glide in flat water but I think my 14' Glide may be faster.. but that's in non plaining conditions.. Throw in some wind and runners that things change.

I've done many down-winders with Jonathan that occasionally turn into no-winders and we will yo-yo apart from each other.. When the wind/waves drop he gets away from me on his Pin.. and when the wind/waves gust up I will catch him up again.

DJ

[Easy Rider]

Thanks for the feedback. I was thing that the choice would probably be between the Free Race and the Surf Race. The pictures on the Starboard 2010 website show a square tail on the surf race but the catelogue of the the different models side by side indicate a pin tail like the old PIN Starboard. Any pics or further info on the new Free Race and Surf Race boards are very much appreciated. Cheers.

The Surf Race has a bit of a squared off tail - the Free Race goes to a pin - a bit more the The Pin - plus the deck is recessed a bit and "flows through" out the tail.
Surf Race in Carbon (will see if I have a photo of the Free Race somewhere)

[redfour]

Just out of interest, how much are the Free Surf, and Free Race selling for?

[Easy Rider]

^^^ I am in Canada - so posting prices will just scare you!  (although our dollar has been doing better lately)

Head into your local Starboard dealer and ask. 
If you don't have a local dealer - and are in the US - call Wardog.

[greatdane]

I was in Vancouver today at the Olympics & the currency difference right now is only 5 cents.

[JonathanC]

I'm hanging out to get the Surf Race but the first container doesn't arrive until April .

Very hard to compare the Pin to the Glide 14, totally different board but surprisingly similar speeds in a variety of conditions. At first doing down-winders on the Pin didn't feel nearly as "normal" as the 14 Glide. By normal I mean that the Glide catches runners easily and surfs well, just like a big big wave board, at first on the Pin I had trouble working out where to stand to catch runners but after a few down-winders I don't even think about it anymore. There is quite a bit of rocker in the Pin and it responds well to moving around, stepping well forward to engage the displacement style nose into the trough of the wave then moving back once on the wave, and right back into surfing stance on bigger swells. Compare that to the 14 Glide, with my weight 145# there is so much volume in the Glide that I just let it do its thing and step back to surf once it's on the wave. As DJ says, there is very little difference in our speeds and it's conditions dependent.

Very much a personal preference thing, I get a real buzz out of "milking" tiny light wind runners in the 10 to 15 knot winds on the Pin and the beauty of that is that in these wind strengths you can paddle up wind instead of doing the car shuffle thing and enjoy the down-wind reward on the way back. 

Find that I really enjoy both boards and if I had to choose for a down-winder it would be wind strength related, under 15 knots the Pin, 15 to low 20's either, above 25 the Glide. I also own a 14' Penetrator displacement hull type board and in the 10 to 15 knot range with my weight it is superb as a down-wind board, over 25 knots it has moments of genius but requires total concentration, compared to the Glide that just feels super easy and fun the stronger the wind gets, this is how I hope the Surf Race will feel in high wind. I'm hoping the the light weight of the carbon surf race, the fast rocker and the surfing style slight concave but basically flat bottom will make for a super agile board that can dart around, changing direction easily - picking up everything going! I like the "dynamic" down wind feel of a shorter light board rather than 16 or 18'  "goods train on tracks" feel. All will be revealed in April..... 

[Easy Rider]

I was in Vancouver today at the Olympics & the currency difference right now is only 5 cents.

Yes - too bad pricing was set many, many months ago.

[Lobes]

Thanks for the feedback. I was thing that the choice would probably be between the Free Race and the Surf Race. The pictures on the Starboard 2010 website show a square tail on the surf race but the catelogue of the the different models side by side indicate a pin tail like the old PIN Starboard. Any pics or further info on the new Free Race and Surf Race boards are very much appreciated. Cheers.

The Surf Race has a bit of a squared off tail - the Free Race goes to a pin - a bit more the The Pin - plus the deck is recessed a bit and "flows through" out the tail.
Surf Race in Carbon (will see if I have a photo of the Free Race somewhere)

what is the deal with the paint job of the starby in brushed carbon? It looks like they did a half assed job or didnt put enough pigment in the paint. Or am I missing something by not seeing it in natural light?

[Easy Rider]

^^^  It is a full Carbon board (black in color) - They paint it white over the carbon so that the board does not get hot from being out in the sun.
They then sand off the majority of the white paint to make the board as light weight as possible.

They have been doing it with their windsurf boards for a while.

This way you don't have to rush the board out of the water and into a bag / the shade.

Once you feel how light the board is - it will make sense.