FSW 94 - So good a second tester bought one !!!

3rd Apr 2006 @ 08:45:31 AM

RRD FREESTYLE WAVE 94 Style: Fast-tail all-rounder prioritising speed and air-time. Character: Another classic fast-tail all-rounder. It both is and feels very light with a buoyant feel that allows easy pop, chop-hopping and jumping. The long flat in the rocker line delivers excellent early-planing and easy blasting over chop, yet it also feels very loose and quick to manoeuvre. This inspiring instant responsiveness is due to its pivotal manoeuvrability and good balance rather than security and agility in the carve; the tail isn’t the most positive under sudden back foot carves, particularly with the smallish stock fin. This means that gybes and bottom turns require good technique, but the slight lack of security can be a benefit in top turns and freestyle for the competent sailor. Strengths: Early-planing, lively feel, good airtime, pivotal manoeuvrability. Weaknesses: A slight lack of ease and security in the carve compared to the best of its peers. Fittings: The straps can twist, and perhaps due to being so very soft, aren’t the most durable. The fin is fine for stronger winds, but a bigger one is needed for 5.5-6.5m sailing. The pads are great with nice toe-raisers. Place in the range: RRD’s Freestyle Waves go up in sensible 2cm (width) gaps and the 94 is very similar in feel to the 85 we tested in Jan/Feb. Again, the performance and design is very similar so you know what you are getting, although the 94 maybe has a slightly more voluminous feel in relative terms. We’d agree completely with RRD’s recommended 5.0-6.4m as the sail range for the board. Overall: In broad terms it is pretty easy to use, but it’s the most challenging of the boards on test, and as a result sails freer and has a feeling of less limits than its peers. An excellent high performance fast-tail all-rounder for the more ambitious coastal sailor and again, a very good partner to a smaller waveboard for the 80-90kg sailor. Price: £995 (Carbon Kevlar construction) with 25cm Powerbox fin