Starboard and Severne importer APM has set up one of the largest stands in Funsport Hall 17 at boot 2024, and is also bringing along some stars in the form of Philip Köster, Björn Dunkerbeck and Balz Müller. One of the most eye-catching new products is the Starboard Fly Go, the foil addition to the Go beginner range. "It couldn't be easier to foil," enthuses Product Manager Stefan Edtmayer during our tour of the stand and explains: "You can put any beginner on a foil combination like this, it rides super slowly, super relaxed, very slow, which makes it very easy for beginners to foil!" The accompanying foil is also designed for beginners with large wings and a thick profile, it comes with a 70 cm aluminium mast and the front wing sits relatively far back. "It is very forgiving, which helps beginners who are still unsure or think they can't react quickly enough," says Edtmayer. Learning jibes or duck jibes should also be very easy because the combi flies for a long time even at low speed: "It simply doesn't come down!"
In the Starboard range, the familiar names and models have otherwise remained the same: the down-the-line waveboard Hyper and its more moderate onshore brother Ultra are entering the new season unchanged, as are the freestyler Ignite and the Carve as an all-round freerider. According to Stefan Edtmayer, however, the Kode, the freemove model, is completely new. The swallow tail alone shows that the Kode has become more wave-heavy, it is shorter, wider, has more volume in the centre and slimmer rails. "This makes it smooth and easy to jibe or turn," says Edtmayer. Another new feature is the power box on the centre fins of all sizes, which has also been moved back slightly for better freeride characteristics. The Futura is also new; for most surfers, the Freeracer is the best board for maximum speed: "A regular windsurfer will get on better with it and be faster than with the iSonic!"
The Severne novelties 2024
Severne is removing the Turbo and Overdrive flat-water sails from the programme for the new season, replacing them with the brand new Moto: Stefan Edtmayer promises a "handy freerace sail" with two cambers, both of which sit below the boom. Thanks to the narrow mast pocket, handling should also remain comfortable. "The Moto is faster than the Turbo and easier to handle than the Overdrive," promises Edtmayer. Because the new model is intended to have a large wind range, the gradations have been increased and almost the entire Rage can be used with two masts and one boom. An RDM mast is standard; Edtmayer only recommends switching to an SDM mast for heavier riders.
The NCX is also completely new. The "race sail without camber" is said to have become more planing with more belly, and you can ride it bigger than other models thanks to the stable pressure point, explains Stefan Edtmayer.
The Freek freestyle sail comes with a new outline, longer luff and shorter boom, while the Blade and S1 wave models have only undergone minor adjustments. For example, the S1 in sizes 4.8 and 5.2 has been given more belly to improve planing. In addition, a new colour has been added to the Severne range with the optional green
Freemoveboard Dyno comes with a new shape
The Pyro, the best-selling board at Severne according to Edtmayer, has been given a new fin setup for 2024. "It's much softer, so the board rides smoother and turns better," promises Edtmayer. Philip Köster believes it is particularly important for his signature board to have "freeride characteristics", meaning that it can go upwind well, planes well and is fast for a wave board.
Its brother Nano, a "playful new school waveboard", is being launched in the new year in a lighter Pro version with a turquoise-green design. The Freemove Dyno model has also been given a new design and shape update, but is said to have retained its wavey characteristics.
The Severne Fox, an "extremely sporty freeride board, but not yet a freeracer" according to Edtmayer, has been on the market since the autumn. The shape has a rather stretched outline and a lot of V in the underwater hull. We were able to test the Fox shortly after its launch: "When stretched out, the Fox moves very quickly and harmoniously from a stable water position into planing, where the extra length pays off noticeably. Then the Fox invites you to enjoy cruising on the one hand - but also craves more and more sail pull, because there doesn't seem to be an upper limit," our test riders found at the time.
