Starboard Drops Its 2023 Race Range

SAN DIEGO, CA—The most winning race SUP range is now online. After 7 gold medals from the ICF World Championship in Poland, we’re excited to introduce you to the Starboard 2023 Racing range. Starboard SUP Brand Manager Ollie O'Reilly gives us some insight into this exciting launch:

“Every year, the development of the race range gets harder as we move the goal posts in pursuit of the fastest boards possible.

As a team, we are always striving to develop the best boards that win and inspire you to push the boundaries. Often, we are striving for the smallest increments in performance to get that edge over the competition. We don't stop until we are confident that we have improved performance from one year to the next, whether it's that little extra glide with each stroke over a distance, easier acceleration and torque in sprints, or more control and manoeuvrability in chop.

Photo via Starboard

As a result, the 2023 All Star and Sprint have seen refinements and tweaks to the hull shapes that result in a bigger overall performance gap. The All Star's pulled-in outline improved speed and glide; higher rails made it more forgiving in chop; and the new rounded rail shape gave it more control in bumps and on flats.

The Sprint's efficiency is further enhanced by the rounded rails at the tail, which improve and extend the glide, and the boxy nose, which is more forgiving in light chop. Furthermore, the new centre drainage system and carbon recessed scuppers are implemented in both models, helping to reduce the overall drainage time and efficiency.

Photos via Starboard

Ultimately, these hours of refinements, testing, and retesting have allowed us to stay ahead and lead the way in results, with our talented dream team riders making history in SUP racing. In the 2022 ICF World Championships in Poland, Starboard achieved seven world titles with the All Star, making it the most successful and winning race board in the industry. Huge congratulations to all! The Sprint continues to be the speed machine on flat water, with recent results from Caterina and Ole Schwartz keeping them ahead of the game, as well as the epic adventures of Bruce Kirkby on the new 29” Wide Sprint Expedition.

Photos via Starboard

As always, the results on the surface pay tribute to many hours spent behind the scenes in development. Trevor Tunnington, the previous fastest paddler on earth, has been influential in both developing and testing. Daniel Hasuylo, who has been based in Thailand for many years, has been testing and putting in lap after lap to get time on the water in both shape and technology testing, especially with the Zero tech. This year, we welcomed to Thailand the New Caledonian sparring partners Clement Colmas and Noic Garioud to put the boards through their paces and tweak the boards further.

The speed of development is testament to our talented team of shapers, who continue to amaze us—thanks to Nimit, Pracha, Tee, and Pop. Following the approval of the new shapes, they are handled by our dedicated product setup team—thank you, Meaw, Ao, and Auden.

The new launch timeline means you can race your board for the full season without changing midseason, ensuring you’re confident going into every race.

We hope you enjoy these new models as much as we enjoyed developing them for you.

Get out there and keep paddling!”

What's New

All-Star

The choice of champions, this board won 3 gold medals at the 2022 ICF World Championship in Poland (1st place in long distance by Michael Booth, and 1st place in both sprint and technical races by Connor Baxter).

Photo via Starboard

From entry level riders to elite racers, the All Star is the world's most winning versatile and user-friendly race design, coming in widths for all rider weights and skill levels. 24.5" and wider are suited for heavier riders, while 23" and below are for more skilled and lighter riders. The All Star is available in the light and strong Carbon Sandwich technology and best value Wood Carbon technology.

Photos via Starboard

The 2023 design has a narrower nose and tail outline to give you faster acceleration, higher top speed and greater efficiency. Our driest and most efficient center drainage system increases drainage speed by 50%, while reducing weight by 50%. Additionally, higher rails increase secondary stability and control in chop, while preventing water entering in downwind.

Here's a look at some specifics about each of the new features: 

• Narrower nose outline slices through the water with a cleaner entry, increasing acceleration and glide.
• Refined nose volume gives you more pop in choppy conditions, restricts the nose from getting caught downwind and reduces water entering into the standing area.
• Higher side rails ensure you have more control in choppier conditions, greater secondary stability and restricts water entering the inside when leaning on the rail downwind.
• Soft rail edge at the tail increase overall glide, and is more maneuverable to change direction and steer the board downwind.
• We moved the drainage from the rails to center of the board resulting in:
  • Less water weight on the rails, reducing the water causing imbalances in lateral stability.
  • Faster drainage, we recorded up to 50% faster drainage time (drained in 18 strokes with center vs 39 strokes with rails).
  • 50% reduction in weight change from 4 to 2 drainage holes
  • The standing area is much drier overall as less water enters when leaning on the rail to rail turn.
• The new range of fins adds speed and performance like never before. The 3k pre-impregnated carbon biax is an ultra-lightweight weave and creates super stiff performance throughout the fin. The trailing edge features a super sharp 0.4mm for clean hydrodynamics. 

Check it out HERE.

Sprint

Go faster and maintain glide more easily with this ultimate flatwater race board. The Sprint is without doubt our fastest and most efficient race board for flat-water racing and ultra-long distances.

Photo via Starboard

A new thicker slicing nose design displaces water with a cleaner release so you can paddle faster with less water wrapping and slowing you down. Rounded rails at the tail feel more forgiving in side chop and creates a more efficient release. A refined standing cockpit with more dug out rails helps utilize the full width to give you more stability and control. 

Photos via Starboard

The updated center drainage system boasts a 50% faster drainage speed and a 50% reduction in weight due to the decrease from 4 to 2 holes. In addition, you'll experience increased comfort as your feet stand clear the drainage holes at the rail.

Caterina Stenta won the SUP Alp Trophy on this board with Ole Schwarz on the podium!

Some specifics about the Sprint's new upgrades: 

• Sharper and thicker nose profile: A thin, slicing nose parts the water efficiently and stops the water from wrapping over the nose to slow you down. It pops faster in chop and gives you more trim control.
• The tail has a new rounded tail edge, giving a smoother release and more efficient glide. In choppy conditions, the new round tail is more forgiving.
• Refined inner standing area: The inner rails are more dug out in the standing area to utilize the full width inside the cockpit and improve stability.
• The 3k pre-impregnated carbon biax is ultra-lightweight weave and creates super stiff performance throughout the fin. The trailing edge features a super sharp 0.4mm for clean hydrodynamics. The new range of fins adds speed and performance like never before.
• We moved the drainage from the rails to center of the board resulting in:
  • Less water weight on the rails, reducing the water causing imbalances in lateral stability.
  • Faster drainage, we recorded up to 50% faster drainage time (drained in 18 strokes with center vs 39 strokes with rails).
  • 50% reduction in weight change from 4 to 2 drainage holes
  • The standing area is much drier overall as less water enters when leaning on the rail to rail turn.

Check it out HERE.

Sprint Expedition

Speed, stability, and adventure. We've expanded our Sprint range to include 2 new, wider models with greater stability and crossover ability for long-distance touring.

The 14'0" x 27.5" Sprint is designed for riders up to 110 kg who want solid stability and great speed. The 14'0" x 29.5" Sprint is designed for riders weighing up to 120 kg and seeking ultra-stability for long distance adventures. Both new sizes offer the recessed bag storage area in front of the standing area with bungee tie downs to carry gear and supplies for ultra-distance races and long exploration paddles.

Photo via Starboard

Paddle board explorer & adventure athlete Bruce Kirkby is the man behind the Sprint Expedition design. He says:

"At last, a true expedition paddleboard! After three years of testing different designs and prototypes with the Starboard team in Thailand, I simply couldn't be prouder of the Expedition Sprint. Combining Starboard's legendary racing hull with massive dugout cargo capacity, this revolutionary board is fast, stable and so fun to paddle. Capable of carrying weeks of gear, it is ready for any wilderness journey. It is the real deal."

Photos via Starboard

Check out the Sprint Expedition's key features:

• New large forward and rear baggage areas. The two larger sizes of the Sprint are designed to crossover as a long distance race and touring model. Designed for Ultra-distance paddling, the recessed forward bag area and recessed rear area feature multiple tie down points for bags, food and supplies. The 27.5″ model features only forward bungee tie downs, and the 29.5" features both forward and rear bungee tie downs.
• The 29.5" model features a center tuttle box in front of the usual fin box. Large tuttle fins can be installed for additional stability if needed. Large fins are great for stability in longer, adventure paddling.
• A thin, slicing nose parts the water efficiently and stops the water from wrapping over the nose to slow you down. It pops faster in chop and gives you more trim control.
• The tail has a new rounded tail edge, giving a smoother release and more efficient glide. In choppy conditions, the new round tail is more forgiving.
• New refined inner standing area. The inner rails are more dug out in the standing area to utilize the full width inside the cockpit and improve stability.
• The 3k pre-impregnated carbon biax is ultra-lightweight weave and creates super stiff performance throughout the fin. The trailing edge features a super sharp 0.4mm for clean hydrodynamics. The new range of fins adds speed and performance like never before.
• We moved the drainage from the rails to center of the board resulting in:
  • Less water weight on the rails, reducing the water causing imbalances in lateral stability.
  • Faster drainage, we recorded up to 50% faster drainage time (drained in 18 strokes with center vs 39 strokes with rails).
  • 50% reduction in weight change from 4 to 2 drainage holes

Find the Sprint Expedition HERE.

More helpful links

Prepreg carbon fins

Zero construction

Carbon Sandwich construction

Wood Carbon construction

Taking Initiative To Cut Carbon Emissions

 Photo via Starboard

10X Climate Positive

For every board sold, Starboard plants 3 mangrove trees with the Worldview International Foundation. Each Mighty Mangrove sinks down 673kg of VCS certified CO2 during its first 25 years. Together, our 3 mangroves offset the board's carbon emissions ten times over and fund local livelihood projects in Myanmar.

Plastic Offset Program

Buy a board and we pick up 1.1 kg of beach/ocean plastic trash – equivalent to the amount of plastic trash entering the ocean, per person, per year. Starboard balances this amount for our customers. 

Content courtesy Starboard. For more SUP news, click HERE.