What do you make of this board? Starboard free formula?

[beaglebuddy]

http://honolulu.craigslist.org/kau/spo/3199993639.html
Available locally which is a big deal here.
Looks to be about 10 years old?
What was the intended purpose of this board? Was it an early formula board or is it more of a beginner board? Was it a useful design?

[jingebritsen]

cut outs and the fin quiver lead me to believe either a FF or FW. length leads me to believe early stuff. a shame that the bottom is the only pary shown. buyer beware that the deck may be rotted from dings that may not have been fixed quickly. wood veneer decks on old star boards get really ugly and dysfunctional when neglected.

[mat-ty]

That's a starboard free formula , I had the 138 version of that board. One of the best boards I have ever owned. It is a tuned down, user friendly, version of that years formula boards. My 138 was super fast , went upwind like a bullet , and was not quirky or technical to ride at all. This was a high performance board intended for your average sailor .It's a classic shape and is as good as any freeride board on the market today in my opinion. The 198 must be pretty darn big , but must plane in next to nothing for wind. I do not believe there is any wood in that construction.
On a side note I have a nova around that size that I do some supping on it with my kids , and it actually works quite well.

[SeaDawg]

I had that exact board. It was well built. I owned it at a time when I was on a quest to plane in 10knt winds. I powered it with a Sailworks 10m Retro from 04. Never could make that combo work at that wind range.

At the same time I had an AHD GT85(still do) if I was patient I could get my GT planeing at 14-15 with my 8.5 Infinity.

I put it on consignment in the OBX a few years ago and don't miss it.
That said it's a good lite wind board and at $200 + those fins it's a real bargan.

I'd often put guest sailors on it and taught a few friends how to sail on it. It sort of fits between the Starboard Go and their Formulae boards of that time.

In that size range my current loaner/ teacher board is a 2000 Tiga Free 79/ Tiga's version of the Bic 293 of that year.

[ronm41]

Ive got one, a 157 that I have had for about 8yrs, but unfortunately sits in my garage and hasn't been sailed in a long time. Mine is basically a light version of a 155 Go. So, no rubber deck, a lighter construction and a slight Vee bottom and 85 cm wide. Fast, easy to ride board that works best with a 7.5/8.0 sail. Footstrap position is aggressive. The one pictured is a older version of what mine is. Mine was the last generation Free Formula.

[sailingjoe]

It's hard to figure why Jinglebells posted about wood decks when this board doesn't have one. Actually, that is a bargain just for the three fins and footstraps. Obviously this guy wants to get rid of the board quickly, though. Geez, you just don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

[dllee]

Horrible board for advanced sailors in high wind bump n jump conditions, especially the jump part ..
Great board for the rec sailor looking to use big sails in lighter winds, down to around 12 mph with 10 meter sails.
Not the ideal board for Kailua, since the reefs there tend to poke up from the bottom to within 18" of the surface, but you can spot them and avoid them if you care.
Horrible board if you like to use 30 cm blade fins.
Great light wind board if you get a 60 cm blade fin.;

[beaglebuddy]

So would you say it's sort of like a formula board in that it can get planing in light wind but it's easier to sail and doesn't require any special techniques?
A bit narrower and a bit longer than a formula.
Comparable to a JP super lightwind?
I'm going to look at it Monday, will probably buy it.

[SeaDawg]

The copy in the catalog said "a slighty detuned version" of the formula series of 2002.

It really has a fairly narrow window of performance. In the 5-15knt range just about anyone can learn to sail on it.

I liked it in marginal gusty winds with a 7.5 -10m.It did real well in steady 12-18 but if the winds were steady 15-20 I always wanted a smaller board.

As I recall it felt too big most of the time, but on those marginal days it was fun to have.

Hope that helps.

[Thinman]

I have the 155 as well. The deck is beat up, it has some poorly done fiberglass repairs, some poorly done dingstick repairs, and some areas that still need a repair. It looks like something you might see in the front yard of a trailer home in an episode of Cops filmed in Florida. Or Marblehead. And I'd replace it in a heartbeat if I lost it and could find another one. It's place, imho, is in moderate winds, say 10/15K, with an 8.5 up to a 10.0 depending on your body weight, in water that isn't too choppy but not necessarily flat. Take that rascal out in big swell, as in big open bays and maybe a calmer ocean day, and you can toggle back and forth between piloting the Queen Mary across the Atlantic and hauling butt on a cigarette boat. It's short enough to not pitch you in the steep swells if you're reasonably careful, and the planing power will have you skimming over the flatter water. If the swells turn to closely spaced chop, the board will beat you to death bouncing around, but then you're probably on your way in anyway to rig down and you can switch to that smaller board. If the wind goes the other way, there's plenty of volume you can schlog home.