FSW 86 "another killer board from RRD" Boards Jan/Feb 2007

8th Jan 2007 @ 07:16:46 PM

Many times a test winner over the past few years, RRD have wisely not made too many tweaks to this extremely successful design for 2007. This year’s board sees the nose lift a little earlier and a little higher, a considerably wider nose and more vee in the underwater shape. However, that all-important fast-tail is still very much in place. The Freestyle Wave range has been expanded to 5 different sizes for 2007, spanning 78 to 110L. On the water: Early planing and acceleration is excellent, right up there with the freerides and other fast-tail boards, and it blasts comfortably on the longish flat, going upwind with ease. Compared to other boards that can blast comfortably in low powered conditions, the RRD feels extremely ready to jump or manoeuvre. The nose rides high, and the board feels loose and keen to turn. In waves its natural speed and acceleration combine with the high nose and very reliably grippy tail to give excellent jumping, even in quite low-powered conditions. While not in the same league of manoeuvrability as the two most wavey designs in this test, it can certainly be thrown around extremely hard, flowing easily through tight bottom-turns and slashy popturns. Its gybing performance is versatile and reliable. Freestyle suitability is very good with the long flat, wide nose and tiny duck-tail all helping. The only real area where performance suffers is in rougher water and stronger winds, when the wide nose can get quite bouncy at speed, and lighter sailors reported it becoming unsettled. Range: Although it will take up to 6.0-6.2m if you want to concentrate on more freeride performance, it works best in the waves with sails of between 5.2 and 5.8m. In stronger conditions it starts to get a bit bouncy and hectic, but within its ideal range it provides exceptional versatility. Fittings: Most sailors loved the spongy deckpads, though some felt they neutered the feedback the board offers and flattened the deck a bit. (Last year’s model had superb toeraisers; whatever happened to them?) The straps are comfy and the 25cm MFC fin suits the board well in its ideal mid windrange. Use something a little bigger for the most marginal winds, although this is somewhat less easy now that RRD have gone over to classic box fitting this season in these smaller Freestyle Wave sizes (78 & 86L). Popularity: Made most guesters’ top five including a first and a second and was much liked by all the testers (one of whom has since bought one). Overall: Another killer board from RRD for exploiting marginal coastal conditions to the max. The fast-tail rocker ensures that you will get planing with as small a sail as possible as soon as the wind allows, while the unusually pivotal and manoeuvrable feel gives excellent riding potential. Great jumping and good freestyle complete the mix. Compared to last year’s board it feels a bit bigger and slappier; a higher weight carrier and better for freestyle, but a fraction down on control. It is quite a windstrength-specific design, though. Rather than a do-it-all strong wind allrounder, it’s definitely a board to maximise coastal sailing fun in lighter winds and be used in partnership with a proper waveboard to take care of the more solid conditions.