The surf test is like many hobby windsurfers: sometimes the wind just doesn't play ball. Our test area on Lake Garda is actually famous for reliable ventilation, but this year Ora and Vento got a little mixed up. This was not only felt by the Slalom World Cup in Torbole, but also by our test team.
We had nine freerace boards around 125 litres with us, but only five candidates have been able to complete the full test cycle so far. For the other four, we simply haven't gained enough experience to be able to give reliable grades and assessments. That's why surf 7/2023 (in stores from 21 June) will initially only contain the results for the Fanatic Jag, JP-Australia Supersport, Patrik F-Race, Starboard Futura and Tabou Fifty. You will then find the other four boards and their scores in surf 8/2023 - these will be the Goya Bolt, Tabou Rocket+, RRD Fire Storm and I-99 Grandtour.
In focus: Which freerace board is equally good for fin and foil?
What all the freerace boards tested have in common is a width of 75 to 76 centimetres, which is often the more important criterion than volume in this class. With the exception of Starboard, all models have a relatively wide tail, but the distribution of volume varies greatly.
In addition to the riding characteristics with a fin, we also tested all the boards for their foil characteristics - all come with a "foil ready" fin box. This is because the ideal situation for many freeracers is to ride with a foil in light winds and simply screw a fin into the tail when the wind picks up - and vice versa. How well can the current boards do this? Or is dual use only possible with a compromise? Our test impressions range from "really good" to "still adequate". So if you only want one board for both areas of use, you should take a closer look.
You can see all the boards with lots of details in our gallery above!
