The hybrid idea is not new, but it is usually implemented by giving a windsurfing board a foil-compatible box - which can also work quite acceptably for foil surfing ( see test in surf 7/2020 ). Pure foil boards allow noticeably smoother flights, but are useless for windsurfing. With the Fifty model, Tabou now wants to bring a genuine hybrid board onto the market for the first time, which combines shape elements from both board types.
On land: The Fifty is available in two sizes with 115 and 125 litres, also in an LTD version, which is just under 700 grams heavier at Tabou and is equipped with a cheaper fin than the Team design. Shape elements such as the wide tail and the generous cutouts are reminiscent of the Air Ride foil board in the 115 litre Team we tested (surf measurement: 7.45 kilos).
At 232 centimetres in length, the Fifty is almost six centimetres shorter and also a little narrower than the pure foil model. The underwater hull with its clearly double concave V is more reminiscent of the Rocket+ windsurf board. The Fifty appears to have been tuned in a sporty manner with regard to the strap set-up - both positions are far out.
On the water: In windsurfing use, the new Fifty reminded us of an even sportier version of the Rocket+. The bow appears somewhat thinned out, but still provides more safety when tacking and catching up with the sail than is the case on the foil model Air Ride. In the planing phase, the Fifty requires an active riding style to overcome the planing threshold, but then the board accelerates powerfully, looks sporty and direct and gives a very fast ride in the style of a real freerace board. The fin takes pressure well. The board really comes into its own in the medium wind range - it achieves a high top speed and holds its speed well even in wind holes. However, in order to be able to utilise the racy characteristics of the board, you need to be able to cope with loop positions that are quite far out - it almost reminds you of a slalom board. Even the position further inwards on the board still seemed very sporty to us. The Fifty also challenges you in manoeuvres: if you go into the race jibe with a lot of speed, you have to put in a lot of effort to keep the edge running cleanly in the water and get out of the jibe at speed.
If you replace the fin with the foil - we used the GA Hybrid 80 from the foil test in surf 6/2020 for better comparability - the Fifty gets up to take-off speed well with a few pumping strokes and is then noticeably more stable and smoother in the air than the Rocket+, for example. In our opinion, the Fifty model is almost on a par with the Air Ride 74 foil board tested: you can apply good pressure to the foil on the wide tail - in our opinion, the inner loop position is completely sufficient for this - and the board also offers plenty of space to change over and a stable flight in the jibe.
surf conclusion: If you are looking for a fast base for your 2-cam sail, like to cruise across the lake at full throttle and have a high level of riding ability, the Tabou Fifty is a fully-fledged freerace board and a really good foil board for more performance-orientated foiling. The concept seems less suitable for anyone who wants to planing effortlessly and without much effort, who wants to relax and work on their jibes or who wants to gain their first foiling experience with small sails and thickly profiled wings.
Info: www.tabou-boards.com
