I got to try the Starboard Airplane 225 a few times. Check out my blog post on it. peterkosinski.com

Have you tried to use a more powerfull/slalom fin in the board?
I do want to challenge the board with an R7 in 8.6 and a 46cm but find it difficult to find people to borrow me the board for sucha test....

good "board" review on your blog
http://peterkosinski.com/starboard-airplane-2016-a-new-revolution-in-windsurfing/
it all sounds interesting and all, but is listed as $2300 at a local retailer
if it was half that price it would help entice current non-windsurfers AND current windsurfers
as you say in your article, it is version 1.0 and we will see what the future brings
THANKS for sharing the write-up

No offence but watching that video made me more disinterested in inflatables than I was previously

It is interesting, but you still need to carry sails, boom, masts, harness, fins, wetsuit...... an inflatable board will not change much your need for transport. Ah I forgot the inflatable rig !

This little quote from the link Joe put up had me wondering?
"
The board has good constant speed. It sails through gust and lulls with good control and keeps on the plane. The board does need to be sailed slightly overpowered. I found between 1 – 1.5 m sail size bigger then normal made the board fully blast along."

Is it only the flex that slows it down, or is there some aspect of a fast shape that can't be done in a pump up? If it is flex that might explain why carbon is/feels faster. I had always thought that any extra speed due to carbon construction would be undetectable, that they just felt faster because of the vibrations.

I agree, can't see the point in an inflatable sail board - performance looks suspect.
I suppose you could have variable volume

And from the safety point of view what happens if you get a puncture far from shore? i would not go out without a life jacket...

I dont think that you could expect the performance to equal a conventional board, and its early days for development. Unless you needed a compact board for travel cant see that you would
get one.

Wunderwaffe.

Luftwaffle

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snides8 said..
I agree, can't see the point in an inflatable sail board - performance looks suspect.

There probably isn't a mass market at this stage but I can see a market. For example I lived in Singapore the last couple of years and we used to go on short weekend trips to places like Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia. Many of those places have ok wind but the logistics of taking a full size windsurf kit on small budget airlines are a complete nightmare. Local rental gear if available is usually decades old and they won't let you use it when it's actually windy. There have been plenty of occasions where this board would have at least gotten me out on the water for an hour or two.

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stehsegler said..

snides8 said..
I agree, can't see the point in an inflatable sail board - performance looks suspect.

There probably isn't a mass market at this stage but I can see a market. For example I lived in Singapore the last couple of years and we used to go on short weekend trips to places like Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia. Many of those places have ok wind but the logistics of taking a full size windsurf kit on small budget airlines are a complete nightmare. Local rental gear if available is usually decades old and they won't let you use it when it's actually windy. There have been plenty of occasions where this board would have at least gotten me out on the water for an hour or two.

Fair point, there must be a market as I guess the manufacturer did his homework first.
i understand inflatable sups are big in Europe as a lot of people live in appartments With limited space.

The thing with an inflatable sailboard (unlike a sup that needs an extendable paddle) you still need to carry a boom,fin,sail - maybe 2?
a 2 part mast a harness... Then you need to carry a pump to inflate the thing...if you are flying with the gear I recon the inflatable board maybe
heavier than a conventional board?? In the end how much smaller is an inflatable board in a rolled up pack?
there are pros and cons to each scenario- I guess the market will answer the question.

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snides8 said..
In the end how much smaller is an inflatable board in a rolled up pack?

The problem is that some airlines started to insist on using containers for loading. For smaller planes those containers restrict the length of cargo to 190 cm. Jetstar on domestic flights in Australia is one of those airlines for example.