Learn how to windsurf on STARBOARD START equipment and become a windsurfer in no time.
The START has changed the windsurfing world and made it possible to learn windsurfing in 60 minutes. Most quality schools and resorts worldwide have adopted the START concept for both learning and recreational purposes. Recreational light wind sailors have been amazed how early the START planes and the performance level it achieves whereas windsurfing schools have been astounded to see first time windsurfers get on and sail.
The START was voted the best learning windsurfing board ever made by the Royal Yachting Association (UK) and has received extremely positive reviews by the world's largest windsurfing magazine, German Surf, and other leading industry publications. We are very proud to have developed the START and to receive such positive feedback. The START is quickly becoming the number one selling board in the world.
The START board has an EVA deck that protects the board from damage and also protects the sailor in case of a fall or slip.
The GO - Starboard's iconic range of progressive freeride boards. They are the original, comfortable, stable and easy all-round designs that have transformed modern windsurfing.
The GO introduced the concept of extra-wide and super stable freeride shapes. They were the first boards to feature a full soft EVA deck, making windsurfing more comfortable than ever. Their revolutionary wide-style designs gave the GO boards the ability to outperform even the most advanced racing designs at the time.
Today, the GO widestyle freeriders continue to live the concept, with five all new shapes. Comfort, ease of use, stability and performance all in one: The GO. One for all.
Sizes and features
The five sizes available are 121, 131, 141, 151 and 171. All the boards come with a host of neat features that make windsurfing more enjoyable, simpler and more easy.
Foostrap positions for every level of sailing: beginner, intermediates and advanced.
Carry handles in the centre: makes carrying the board under-arm easy.
Carry handles in the nose: makes carrying the board by two people more convenient.
Full soft EVA deck: comfortable for your feet, knees and elbows. You get lots of grip without the cuts or rashes. New for 2011: the EVA deck is raised high above the edges of the board to allow the water to flow freely around the board and carve jibe smoothly without interruption. The EVA deck is also reduced from the nose and tail area, keeping the soft deck away from abrasion intensive areas.
The 151 and 171 models are delivered with two fins - a shallow fin that makes handling easier for beginners, including the first steps in shallower water, and a deeper, high performance fin that unlocks the full performance potential of the GO.
New! The GO 151 and 171 now include centre fin-box - perfect for fitting an extra centre fin that makes a beginner's first steps even easier.
TechnologyAvailable in Tufskin with a full EVA deck, the GO boards are very tough and durable. See Technology page for more details and to see what's inside a Tufskin board.
The new Carves. The classic freeriders are back, with their famous blend of easy, exciting and balanced performance. New for Spring Summer: three new additional sizes in the 111, 151 and 171.
The Carves are about fast, easy jibes and exhilarating rides. They offer a more classic, accessible feel with a quick, easy carving response and that special magic-touch ride that has made their fame.
Plug in and play.
A classic freerider by design
A generous deck dome offers plenty of ergonomic comfort - whether inboard or outboard strap settings are used. These strap settings are positioned to mix performance, comfort and accessibility.
The shapes' classic vee distribution, with more vee in the tail and less in the front, their even volume distribution and added nose length, all contribute to the classic riding feel with extra longitudinal balance at lower speeds.
DFC (Dual Flat Concept) rockerline offer straight line speed with a lively and exciting ride. The new Carve tail design also packs some extra volume to add jibing forgiveness: it helps the rider float out of the maneuver without sinking too fast.
Construction
Six sizes are available, in three technologies: 111, 121, 131, 141, 151, 171 litres; Wood, Technora and Tufskin.
The Wood option is the light weight high performance option that is crisp to ride, stiffer and quicker to accelerate. It offers the highest level of dynamic shape stability and offers superior comfort and control compared to Carbon boards. The unidirectional Australian pine wood sheet 0.6mm thick wraps the entire board, deck and bottom, to form a stiff and rigid shell that is also tough and impact resistant.
A new UV protection film covers the deck to protect exposed wood from sunlight. This increases the board's durability and helps prevent the wood from cracking under prolonged UV exposure.
The Technora model is the light high-performance at a more affordable price than Wood Technology. It remains crisp, stiff and exciting to ride, with a full wood skin covering deck, rails and bottom.
The Tufskin option is the more durable and impact resistant construction, offering the most value.
Introducing six all-new Futuras: advanced freeriders with maximum wind range, early planing power and the highest top-end speed. Flip the coin and the Futuras are also the most stable boards thanks to their extra width and remain accessible to improving riders thanks to their inboard strap positions and comfortable deck domes.
A high performance racing machine on one side, and an easy stable board on the other - impossible?
"Stable at low speeds, the Futura 122 has a double whammy of explosive acceleration and early planing. What a pleasure to ride high on the water with just the tip of the tail and the fin in the water. We really have minimal friction and you can go super fast without having the legs of a skier. Its rivals had better be scared because this is one very complete board, and as a bonus, with a higher fun factor than them. A reference." Planchemag Feb-Mar 2010
"A great freeride board with performance that can hold its own on the race course, in the right hands. It is fast, user friendly, manoeuvrable and exciting, what more can you ask for!" Windsurf magazine April 2010
Futura Feature 1: the Futuras are designed to have the same width-to-volume ratio as modern wide-style slalom boards. This means that they are wide (= extra stable) and thin (= control and responsive). Compared to classic freeriders, the Futuras are around 15% thinner.
Futura Feature 2: big deck domes. This means that the deck shape is comfortable for all footstrap positions, whether you're using the powerful outboard settings or the more accessible inside strap settings.
Futura Feature 3: super wide wind range. Because the boards are wide and thin, the board can be paired with extra big sails and extra big fins: maximum bottom end performance. At the same time, the low volume and thin profile also makes the board work with smaller sails and smaller fins. The result: a wind range classic freeriders can't compete with.
Futura Feature 4: carve jibe response. Extra thin also means a very quick and responsive carve jibe. The Futuras turn fast, powerful and with an incisive bite. Looking to improve your jibes? Not a problem: the Futuras extra low speed stability means that it's easy to finish off a jibe, whether you plane out or not.
Futura Feature 5: a wide sweet spot. Classic freeriders tend to need to be perfectly powered up with a perfectly sized sail. The Futuras have a wider sweet spot: if you ride slightly underpowered or overpowered, using a smaller sail or a larger sail or windsurfing in a patchy wind area, the Futuras always deliver peak performance.
New for 2011
Developed in parallel with the 2011 iSonics, the new Futura 4G benefitted from the same upgrades:
Harder rail edges in the tail
With harder rails, the board releases from the water cleaner and quicker: this increases top speed, enables quicker acceleration in gusts, improves earlier planing and improves the board's ability to maintain top speed in lulls. By reducing the tuck-under edge angle, the planing surface became wider and shorter than previously (higher aspect ratio planing surface): this improves bottom-end efficiency. With a harder release edge, the Futuras also gain more jibing power: the rails have the ability to store more energy as the racer enters a jibe that, a fraction of a second later, releases into more exit-speed.