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Jeroensurf said..

I have a 14ft Sprint and a 12.6 Allstar on order but i,m told that they are delayed till januari because of some minor changes they wanna make.
I Ordered a Sprint14x26 because I think the extra stability over the 24 makes me faster and a Allstar12.6x26.5, because I liked the12.6x26 2013 soo much.

And can you tell what different on the new paddles, because I need a new racepaddle as well.
Right now i have a QB Magic90 wich is fine but hust too short and I think i can get away with a slightly bigger blade as well.

Hi,
I was getting a 12'6 x 26 1/2 and a Ace 14' x 25", along with several SUP Surf boards but I was told that I had already exceeded my team rider space quota for that order. LOL.
I had to go with the 25 1/2" wide allstar because it will be my only race board until the second order which should arrive like two months later.
You won't believe how stable the new allstars are.
For flat water I was getting the ace over the sprint because even if I couldn't find a significative speed difference between the 24" sprint and the 25" ace, i think the ace has more glide and in the long distance races it should become an advantage. I also believe the sprint is a lot better in really choppy conditions as the nose splashes over the bumps and the board keeps advancing, while the sprint sometimes pierces a bit too much and you feel like the board will slow down a bit.
I't all a matter of the kind of usage you're thinking. If you're racing flat water with turns, the sprint is the way to go. If it's a long distance race with no buoy turns, i'd take the ace. I plan to go to Holland next year to the 11 cities tour.

The Allstar will really surprise you on how fast it feels when compared to last year's model.
Design wise I think they wanted to make it a faster board, while increasing stability. So they trimmed some volume on the nose, increased a bit on the tail and sharpened the rails. The bottom contours are also a bit more pronounced now.

As for the paddles, I had never tried one of this new high aspect designs, and what I felt was that it may not be the right paddle for sprints, but it will keep you fresh in the long distance. I did a 12km flat water paddle with one and in the beginning it felt like there was a lot of paddle slippage happening, but as I started figuring the paddle out and using my power a little bit better I felt that it makes it easier to keep a high cadence after some time paddling. I'd say they work better on efficiency than power, if this makes any sense to you.
So, if I was going for a short race, like a sprint I'd take a big surflike blade, technical, a normal surflike blade (a bit smaller) and long distance, one fo these new high aspects one.

I also tried the new 17'6 x 23" Sprint and even if it is a handful, it's speed is nothing short of ridiculous!!!
See ya

Thanx for the update!

Thanks for the reports Johnny. You mean the Ace is better in choppy... while the Sprint may pierce to much. Curious; that's the impression I get about new Allstars. My 12'6" x 26" Allstar nose seems perfect for the light SoCal conditions I encounter. I get the feeling that the new nose may be faster, but less friendly in the chop. I know they GPS faster, but it's got to be more then a 1/10 mph or 2 before I ditch my 2013. Can't wait to try the 12'6" x 24" Sprint though. They just look ridiculous in the Catalog depiction. If they are as light as you say in AST, I might have to jump. Lastly, did you have a chance to try the new 12'2" Freeride? Looks like a cross between the Naish Glide Touring nose and the Starboard Touring tail. Too wide for me, but I like the design.

I was able to paddle a couple of the new All Stars while at BOP and even paddled the new 12'6 x25 in the distance race. My board at the moment is the current 12'6 x25 All Star and I can tell you the new one is noticeably quicker. The 2014 doesn't draft as well as it wake rides, by this I mean it wants to jump on the wake and actually surf forward. I now get what Starboard say by it feels like you are paddling down hill, the new board just wants to run on.


Here are a couple of photos I took while over there.









Given that you can now down wind the sprint in light-moderate conditions if I was getting 2 boards it would be the sprint and the all star, this way you have a flat water board and one that can be down winded in light conditions and then when it gets howling the increased surf ability of the all star over the ace comes into play.

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baddog said..Thanks for the reports Johnny. You mean the Ace is better in choppy... while the Sprint may pierce to much. Curious; that's the impression I get about new Allstars. My 12'6" x 26" Allstar nose seems perfect for the light SoCal conditions I encounter. I get the feeling that the new nose may be faster, but less friendly in the chop. I know they GPS faster, but it's got to be more then a 1/10 mph or 2 before I ditch my 2013. Can't wait to try the 12'6" x 24" Sprint though. They just look ridiculous in the Catalog depiction. If they are as light as you say in AST, I might have to jump. Lastly, did you have a chance to try the new 12'2" Freeride? Looks like a cross between the Naish Glide Touring nose and the Starboard Touring tail. Too wide for me, but I like the design.

i'm not saying the Ace is better, just that i like the feeling it provides when going upwind a bit more. That big nose splashing and staying afloat makes me feel like I can go upwind a bit faster. As I said, it's also a PITA to turn, comparing to the sprint and the allstar because of the narrow pintail.I tried the 12'2 x 30" freeride at the meeting and time will tell, but think it will probably be starboard's best selling board for the recreational paddler in flat water.

It feels a lot smaller than 12'2 and a lot faster than a 12'2. One of the first boards I tried was the touring, because it looks so good and everyone says amazing things about them, and i hated the board. It felt big and heavy. If you ask me why, I can't explain it, but it just felt that way. I still think it looks really good.

When I tried the freeride, I had no expectations as it seems like an hybrid. And I tend to think hybrid aren't brilliant at anything. It's simply amazing.
Feels light, super stable and really fast. So fast that I started trying to paddle next to the guys who where trying the 12'6s and 14's and surprise, surprise... it wasn't a lot slower. I liked the board so much, that when the guys at starboard asked me to race it in the Portuguese nationals I thought "uhhhh, uhhhh, ok. Let's do it" and I ended up winning in the all-around class with a 5 minute advantage over the second guy in the class... and this was on the 12'2 x 32" Freeride XL which is considerably slower than the 30" wide model.
Even more relevant: the allround course was 3 km shorter than the Elite course, and when I left the main course to head to the finish line, I was paddling amongst the guys who got 6th, 7th and 8th in the elite class.

Here's a picture of me being drafted by a 14 footer.

Nice win on the Freeride. Lucky for me I only have room for one board. It's added to my must try list, but I'll have to wait for 2015 when they narrow it up an inch:)

I've tried the exact same boards as Johnny Maya (we were together at the Costa Brava meeting and the Porto race). I'm 151 lbs and 5'10'' tall. I really liked the new All-Stars, especially the 25'5 Turtle Bay. I also tried the Freeride XL and it almost as fast as a racing board, super light and really stable. But for medium weight and lighter guys the 30'' would be much better.

Souselas - What reasons would you say benefit the Turtle Bay AllStar over the standard AllStar in the same width? Are they designed for the same conditions and use? Any photos of the Turtle Bay model? Is this the board Connor Baxter has been using for the season? Are the AllStars still the choice for highwind downwinders? At your weight which 14ft AllStar would choose for moderate to highwind down winders ie 15kts and up?
Glad to hear that the reviews on the new Freeride boards were very positive. Do you know if there were any changes to the ACE in 2014? So many great choices will make it very difficult to choose. Hopefully you or anyone else can answer the questions. Thank you in advance.

My friend JC has ordered the turtle board because he's only light.. I think if you're a Lenny body type and have good skills the thinner and lighter board (with lower volume) is a better option.

I'm sure there are slight changes in the Ace but I'm thinking they're only small changes much like changes from the 2012 to the 2013 boards.. They don't look much different in the pictures.

DJ

The only changes to the Ace this year are in the cockpit, other than that the bottom, rails etc. are still the same.

I paddled the Turtle Bay and the 25 All Star and at my 75kg I could notice the difference in stability between the two. Like DJ said if you are under 70kg that is when I would start to look at the Turtle Bay other than that the All Star would be the way to go.

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surf4fun said..

Like DJ said if you are under 70kg.............

I cannot remember when I was under 70kg....

But seriously, I paddled the current model Ace 23.5 on a flat water time trial last week and really felt quick into a tiny head wind. As I am looking into a new 14". Has anyone found it weird going into a "cock pit" style board as opposed to a standard deck??? I am currently on a JM and looking for a newbie to have as an all round racer....

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camharvey said..

surf4fun said..

Like DJ said if you are under 70kg.............

I cannot remember when I was under 70kg....

But seriously, I paddled the current model Ace 23.5 on a flat water time trial last week and really felt quick into a tiny head wind. As I am looking into a new 14". Has anyone found it weird going into a "cock pit" style board as opposed to a standard deck??? I am currently on a JM and looking for a newbie to have as an all round racer....

The last time you were under 70kg you had hair

Is the allstar turtle bay and standard allstar designed for the same conditions? What Allstar would be the preferred width board for high wind downwinders for 68kg / 150lb rider. Then again I imagine going for the 14' Allstar will be faster still than the 12'6.

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IWB said..

Souselas - What reasons would you say benefit the Turtle Bay AllStar over the standard AllStar in the same width? Are they designed for the same conditions and use? Any photos of the Turtle Bay model? Is this the board Connor Baxter has been using for the season? Are the AllStars still the choice for highwind downwinders? At your weight which 14ft AllStar would choose for moderate to highwind down winders ie 15kts and up?
Glad to hear that the reviews on the new Freeride boards were very positive. Do you know if there were any changes to the ACE in 2014? So many great choices will make it very difficult to choose. Hopefully you or anyone else can answer the questions. Thank you in advance.

The Turtle Bay is designed for lighter riders like myself (70 kgs and below). The normal 12'6 x 25'5 is for riders around 75 kgs. I've tried both and they felt really stable and fast. The Turtle Bay has a narrower tail and is intended to be better in waves but I've only tested it in flat conditions. And the Turtle Bay is the model Connor used in almost every conditions. The Turtle Bay has a flatter deck than the regular 25.5''.

Other boards that I really liked were the Astroi Racer 12'6 x 26'': fast, stable and it felt great in choppy conditions. And the kids race board: the 10'6 x 24 All Star: fast and really stable for my weight. Both the Freeride and the 10'6 x 24'' would dominate all round competition.

I can't recommend the 14' boards since I don't have enough experience in 14' boards and I was trying to decide which 12'6 to buy. I did tried the ACEs, but the 23'' was way to tipsy for me and difficult to turn but I liked the 14' x 27'' ACE: stable and excellent in downwind.

The new Sandwich Glass construction on the race boards is amazing! It was super-light and we had a difficult time trying to find out what were the BC and the Sandwich Glass.

Here are a few pictures:

Hi, i own the 2014 12'6'' x 26.5'' AllStar and the 12'6'' x 26'' Sprint for some weeks now. I already trained, raced, surfed waves and made a downwind on those boards.

Basicaly i can tell you this:

-Stability improved a lot, so you can go narrower on the 2014 models

-The Sprint:
??Is a fast, fast, fast board. It's faster than it feels. Turn the GPS on and let him do the talking, you'll be surprised.
??Is an amaizing DW board, it catches every little bump and you can steer it from your paddling stance thanks to the sharper rails at the middle of the board.
??Buoy truning is easy, and a lot easier than the 2013's thanks to the increased volume on the rails around the tail area.
??It goes unreal in choppy conditions both downwind and upwind. Don't get fooled by the looks, all that volume on the nose area makes it feel a lot like the ACE.
??The best thing about that board is how easy it's to maintain a high average speed.
??Drafting is great on it, but not as great as on an Ace or on on a 2013's AllStar beacause thos erounder noses just sit in the wake so easily, plus the 2014 board do really want to overpass the board in front of you.
??The downs: It has no sharp rail on the tail, so you can't "surf" a decent wave on it, so if you love beach racing with decent waves, just go with the AllStar!

-The AllStar:
??If you only own one race board go with the AllStar!
??It's a really fast board, a lot faster than 2013's, and you'll be amazed by its performance on flat water.
??Great stability, both in the paddling stance and on the buoy turning stance and even surfing bumps and waves.
??It has that "surfboard feeling" if you know what i mean... Somehow the Tiki boys found a way to produce a recessed deck that feels like a flat deck and i love that confortable and familiar feeling.
??It surfs really well and gets every little bump. I think that thick tail and low rocker do an amazing job at maximizing bump and wave catching.
??It pierces waves really, really easy with that pointy nose and that kind of reversed bow shape.
??Really confortable carrying straps with three different positions for each one of them makes it great for beach starts.
??The downs: there're faster upwind options like the ACE and the Sprint. Still the AllStar with its wavepiercing nose goes ok upwind.


In conclusion: if you want two race boards i would go with the Sprint and the AllStar and i'd ride the Sprint every time i don't need to surf waves. If you want to buy just one race board the AllStar is an amazing one!

Souselas,
Great photos of some of the 2014 boards. Is the first photo an epoxy construction AllStar 12'6? Board looks hot!! Is there any reason why you tend to use the 12'6 over the 14'?

Coque, awesome information on the new boards. I see you are also using the 12'6 over the 14'. Any reason for this?

If you guys had to choose a board 12'6 or 14 and was to be used in 20knots or stronger in open ocean or downwind usage, which would be your choice (also note width) and why? I fall in the light weight category at 68kg and use a 2013 Ace 14x 25.

The Sprint sounds very impressive. Almost to the point where it could make the Ace obsolete.

Thank you in advance for your help.

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IWB said.. The Sprint sounds very impressive. Almost to the point where it could make the Ace obsolete.

Exactly!

I choose the 12'6'' over the 14' simply because almost every race in Europe is for boards of 12'6'' and under... Obviously a 14' is faster, specialy on a DW run.

Coque

Same reason as Coque. For open ocean and downwind I would definitely go for the ACE 14'. I can't tell you which width is better, though, because I didn't gave them the full test, but I felt really comfortable on the 27'' and felt that the 23.5'' was too tipsy for me.

The light blue board is the Sandwich Glass construction. Starboard doesn't use the AST anymore on race boards. I was really impressed with the weight!

Good read so far. Looking forward to seeing some of these on the water. Very keen to try the new 2014 allstar 25" vs my 2013 allstar 25".
Cam had hair??? Really??

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IWB said..

The Sprint sounds very impressive. Almost to the point where it could make the Ace obsolete.

Not really.
In choppy waters it is still "the board".

I'd say that for long distance, the ACE is the way to go if you´re comfortable with the tippiness of the more rounded hull...

If you want a very fast board for flat water, light downwind and some occasional ins and outs through the surf, the Sprint is the go to. It is indeed surfable!

If you want a board that is still pretty good in the flat, but you're more serious about ocean paddling and beach/surf racing, then pick the allstar.It feels like the ACE and SPRINT may serve the same purposes, but once you try them you really feel that they excel in different conditions and uses.

Johnny

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Kieranr said..

Cam had hair??? Really??

Yeah. Crazy isn't it.

I'm wondering about the new Sandwich Construction. I thought AST is a sandwich construction? Does that mean they took something out of the sandwich? No details in the catalog, so I have to worry about the durability. My AST All Star seems bulletproof. Any feedback or hype on the construction besides being light?

just heard my new carbon WP has been delayed until mid November now !!!!!!