Starboard Sprint 2021 – Michael Booth reviews his favorite board

Here is the replay of a live talk with Australian World SUP race champion Michael Booth on the 2021 Starboard Sprint

The Starboard Sprint 2021

The main new features of the Starboard Sprint as developed by Boothy are the following

A THICKER AND SHARPER NOSE
The Starboard Sprint 2021  boasts a squarer nose which allows the board to pop and slide on the water.

A REDUCED OUTLINE
The narrow outline of the Starboard Sprint 2021 enables a faster stroke and allows the top speed to be maintained  thanks to limited friction and drag on the water.
It’s worht pointing out that the standing area remains the same as the 2020 Starboard Sprint models.

A SHALLOWER BOTTOM 
The shallower bottom of the new Starboard Sprint channel helps the board lift more quickly, thus leading to an increased acceleration and general top speed.

MORE TAIL KICK
The tail of the Starboard Sprint 2021 has slightly more tail kick, helping to lift the nose and maneuver easily in downwind conditions.

EFFICIENT DRAINAGE
Four holes help drain the water off the standing area efficiently.

CHAMFERED RAIL EDGE
Provides secondary stability to restrict the board from rolling.

FLAT SIDE PLANE
Creates smoother glide and adds stability.
Feel more controlled and less twitchy when switching between strokes.

THICKER PROFILE
Since the Starboard Sprint 2021 is narrower, it sits lower in the water. The lost volume from the outline is redistributed onto the deck, making the shoulder rails higher for extra lift.

Raised overall profile maintains the Sprints linear glide and balanced trim, minimizing pitching with improved comfort and versatility to handle more challenging conditions.

SLOPED TAIL
The closed tail restricts water from flooding the tray when buoy turning and surfing, resulting in quicker acceleration and speed out of turns.

FLAT TAIL
Flat tail creates a smooth release with less wake making it harder for others to draft.STRAIGHT TAIL ANGLE
Makes it easier for trimming and buoy turning when stepping back on the tail.
The peak of the tail acts as a moulded tail kicker for comfortable and precise foot positioning to drive pivot turns.

CENTER HANDLE MOUNTS
Provide a balanced grip for carrying the board for beach starts.

COMPLIMENTARY FIN 
The Starboard Sprint 2021 comes with a Starboard Race Ultra 2.0 Fin

NEW STRAIGHT AND RAISED RAILS
Prevents water from wrapping into the standing area, adding excess weight and drag.
Improves stability due to the lower center of gravity.

NEW RAIL ANGLE
Rails are angled outwards so, the widest point is at the top of the rail, and the narrowest outline is at the bottom.
The wide top rail provides stability while the narrow planning surface reduces drag and increases overall speed.