Advice on a 12'6" raceboard to replace my Starboard Pin

[bbarry]

I have a Sport Tech construction Starboard Pin that is a great all around board but loses a bit in flat water due to the large nose rocker cutting waterline, and quite a bit punching upwind because of same.   I did well on the 2010 Round the Rock (Seattle/ Mercer Island) on it, but the chop slapping on the few miles upwind thru the East Channel cost quite a bit of time that I had to work hard to makeup as soon as the chop abated.

So looking for something that is a bit of an all rounder.  Dont want to give up the downwind capabilities, the Pin actually slides downhill quite nicely once you start working the back end of the board,  but want to have more of the length of the board engaged and be able to cut thru chop without having to stand on the front third of the board.  At my weight of 150# it this technique gets the bow into the water and helps with the chop but lifts the stern and loses quite a bit of stability and again waterline.

Posts on the Surftech Bark Competitor sound good, I have not seen a whole lot on the Starboard 29"  Free Race and specs on the Starboards such as volume and weight are frustratingly hard to come by.   So advice or suggestions would be welcome.

Thanks
Bruce Barry

[PT Woody]

I have the same Pin and I wouldn't have considered the amount of rocker on the board was a problem. The challenge you are facing in improving on the Pin for your purposes is that by flattening the rocker, naturally enough you are going to impact on its downwind capability. I feel that the biggest issue with the Pin is not flat water or upwind or even chop per se, it's cross wind and cross chop pushing the big nose every which way. One thing, when you describe stepping forward and losing directional stability, are you using the standard fin? If so, stick something substantially longer in there. I find Starboard under provides with fins and many of their boards.

[lee]

Barry I got two words for ya Surf Race .PM me I'll hook you up

[Canuck Kook]

Starboard is bringing out the Surf Race in a couple of wider widths (29")for 2011. It is a very good allrounder.

[PT Woody]

But the Surf Race has even more rocker than the Pin, if that's the OP's problem.

[cheekymonkey]

I've owned both & the surfrace although has a fair bit of nose rocker it has less tail rocker so gives much better glide than the pin.  With the pin the tail was often so far out of the water due to having to stand so far forward to engage the nose that it caused real problems with momentum & meant you had to move about a lot on the board which slowed you down

the surfrace is much better at catching any slight swell or downwind chop & due to the nose shape is much better at avoiding digging in & pearling.  it's also pretty good upwind, but maybe not quite as good as the pin as the nose doesnt cut so well, but being that bit narrower it is a bit faster, dunno, difficult to judge without getting the gps on it.

surfrace is an awesome allround flat water & downwind board.  i'm 70kg wet through & it's a great board for my size.  when the conditions are a little choppy or I have a bit of wind behind i can keep with my bigger buddies on k15s.  i can't recommend it enough to be honest!