On the beach:
The Starboard Carve is the classic Freerider by Starboard and is supposed to be the board all windsurfers should own who want a plug-and-play board. The 121 is the 2nd smallest board in the six-board line-up, and has been renewed together with the 111, the 131 and the 141 for its 2012 season, which is why no changes were made for 2013. To get planing earlier, the boards received a little more length compared to their predecessors in 2011, and cutouts were added to the hull. All straps have two rows of inserts, with four different options to choose from. The board comes with a 42cm G10 fin.

On the water:
The Carve lies stable in the water grace to its high width, which is why inexperienced freeriders will be able to control the board easily. The board doesn't extend from the water as much like some of the test group competition, but remains in the water. The minute a gust starts pushing the sail, the Carve switches to fast-forward, and lungs for its top speed which is relatively high. Acceleration isn't violent so everybody has enough time to reach their straps. The board remains composed at speed, and in the lower wind territory, its speed potential is amazing. The Carve glides easily on the water, never provokes and aims to please. When the wind increases, experienced windsurfers can put the straps in the outer position and start to tickle more speed from it. The Carve then becomes sporty without becoming twitchy. In the gybes, a foot way on the outer side is required, but once the course has been set, the Carve easily goes through the moves, and sporty riders can run it through tighter turns as well. The Carve planes very well, which is why a fully-planing gybe is within reach of anyone.

The verdict:
The Carve is like its bigger brother in this test, a sensational freeride board with a great overall-performance for a large audience. To those who want to get even more performance from this already excellent package, there is a carbon version available as well.

Length: 252cm
Width: 72cm
Weigth: 8.22kg
Volume: 121liters
Fin: 42cm/G10

To go to the Carve product page, click here