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Starboard Rio
Windsurf Magazine, July 2006 |
At a Glance
The Rio is part of Starboard's enormous range, and shares similar hull shapes to the Start S, but without the integrated rollerwheel feature. The hull is quite rounded in shape, with starboard's typical cutouts in the tail. The Rio looks very similar to the Carve series, being covered in Carve-esque blue and white EVA graphics. The EVA extends right round the (bevelled) rail, and is accompanied by a nose protector, and also footpads for the blasting/semi-inboard positions, the only board to have such. There is a wealth of footstrap options, with four different footstrap settings gradually moving further inboard and forward to cater for every ability. The footstraps are Starboard's excellent standard models, offering excellent support. The daggerboard is of Starboard's own design, and it built into the board, instead of removing it for transport, the handle unscrews instead. The fin is of a sensible size and tough construction, and the tuttle finbolts have plastic covers to protect the rider's feet. There are well-positioned carry handles in both the middle of the board and the nose.
Ride and Handling
The Starboard feels very stable on the water, with the wide nose and tail providing plenty of floatation for errant steps. The deck grip is good, and has a slight dome in the deck, concave around the masttrack to keep feet around the centreline when tacking, and convex in the back for grip. The nose feels short and compact, but the board does feel slightly large, great for early steps, but perhaps a little too large and "safe" for more aggressive starters. The Rio tracks quite well considering the rounded shape, the fin in the tail provides good directional stability upwind to balance the lack of rail straightness. The board turns well in manoeuvres, spinning in the gybe and feeling stable in the tack. The Starboard feels like a classy bit of kit, and would be a board that we would want to hang onto, to last someone from their second step right up to competent intermediate.
For: Attention to detail, good balance between manoeuvrability, stability and
straight-line performance.
Against: Makes the Start look obsolete, why not have just one beginner range to make choosing easier?
Verdict: Wide user appeal in a classy package, a board that an early intermediate will want to hang onto. Highly recommended.
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