STARBOARD TEST: iSonic 115 and iSonic 125
Boards UK Magazine, June 2006
Testing slalom boards is a tricky business. We got quite a bit of racing and testing done on them but there are so many possible variables of set-up and conditions that our conclusions are a snapshot view. It is certain that with different sailors and different courses the picture would change. We can only report what we found but we certainly came home knowing which boards we would want for which conditions.
Two boards stood out as deserving top recommendations. Actually it was three, since one of the boards we liked so much was represented in two sizes. That was the Starboard iSonic which was tested here in 68 and 75cm widths (115 and 125). We tested it in two sizes so as to be able to draw concrete conclusions about different widths without risking that the differences were more down to other design changes. We chose the iSonic since it had fared so well in the 105L size earlier in the year. Being archetypal new style short slalom, the iSonics have the excellent speed strip style top speed that you would expect but they match it with slightly better control and easier gybing that the other short slaloms. Equally importantly, they are sold with two fins, both of which are well matched to the boards potential use and of well above average quality. Being well-priced and available in two constructions just adds to their appeal.
Starboard iSonic 115
A definite 'shorter' or 'compact' slalom. Starboard describe it as a "pure slalom" for "maximum top end speed and a massive wind range:" Considering the short length it is relatively voluminous, giving powerful rails. It is 2cm or more narrower than most of the other '70cm' boards tested here and consequently clearly a bit smaller.
On the water: Excellent top speed and very good control over chop are the
principal qualities of the iSonics.The nose stays low for good pitch control without ever seeming to feel dangerous, so you get a nice flat trim without catching. They are also powerful boards, able to carry well powered sails and transfer the drive
through the fin and rails to give good speed and very good upwind performance. They accelerate very quickly and seem as quick as just about any of the competition. They are still however compact boards and although they are probably easier to control and to gybe than most shorter slaloms they need to be unstuck to get going, and will stall in gybes if you fail to keep the speed up and power on. Gybing performance is pretty good though and it is possible to execute hard and fast gybes even with the pressure of fellow racers in close proximity.
Fitting: We found the Starboard Slalom fins to be as good as any other stock fins on offer, which is a very big selling point in itself..To then have two of them, one ideal for 7.5-8.5m figure-of-eight slalom and the other ideal for 7.0-8.0m
speedsailing (or maybe downwind slalom) is a luxury that is worth a lot!
The back strap is very outboard and the Starboard straps can twist a bit so coming in and out for gybes demands good technique otherwise it can easily unsettle the board.
Recommended sizes: Starboard recommend 5.8-9.0m for the 115. We would reckon about 6.5- 8.5m to be the useful range.
Overall: It needs to be up to speed before it can point high, so it's not quite so well-suited to short course figure-of-eight slalom, but otherwise an excellent and fully competitive slalom whether upwind or downwind. It is also really good fun and rewarding to blast on in speed board fashion, so buy a GPS at the same time! We would be recommending it even if it came with one mediocre fin so the fact that it comes with two good ones in a choice of constructions takes it up a further notch. We imagine the cheaper D-Ram version of the board could be quite a bargain as the weight differential should be less important on a 'compact' slalom than on a longer one.
Starboard iSonic 125
Identical in style to the 115 - see above. The only difference really is that it's 7cm wider and 10L bigger. The planing flat is however a little shorter (and wider) with an earlier 2cm point and though this appears to make little difference it quite possibly prevents the extra drag that bigger boards can have if they keep bigger flats. The planning speeds are almost identical.
On the water: Again, it's pretty much a repeat of everything in the 115 write-up. The gybing and control at speed is a bit worse as you would expect from a bigger board, and the early planing, upwind ability and ability to support a bigger sail is correspondingly better. Otherwise, the boards really are very similar in performance style.
Fittings: The same comments hold good, only the fin sizes are adjusted to the size of the hull and the 125 is well served with a 44cm fin for figure-of-eight slalom and a 36cm fin for speed and downnwind slalom.
Recommeded sizes: Starboard recommend 6.0 - 9.5m. We think 7.0 - 9.0m would be more realistic though a 9.5 could certainly be managed.
Overall: See the overall for the 115! It's a slightly bigger but equally good version.
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, y no la ponen nada mal..
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