Has anyone here tried one yet?? What did you think.

I've been hearing nothing but good reports on them so far, both from people whop have sailed them, and by people trying to keep up with them on 'standard' kit.

Are they really as good as the hype??

Al.

Not tried one but seen them in action at Brogborough and Grafham.

They seem to plane a little bit later than standard massive Formula boards which I guess is expected but when they do they absolutely fly along, v. v. fast.

Bit hard to tell I guess as there may be different standards of sailors and rig size.

They look pretty strange too, very short, is it 230cm? and really deep concaves in the hull.

They've been tested in Boards I think last month.

Hasn't someone on here got one, thought I remember reading a diary entry??

I've read quite a lot on them, seems to be mixed views, guess it depends what you want from a board, great if you want early planning but not formula, great if you wanna be able to go fast upwind and downwind, but not necessarily the fastest at reaching, KP just won a slalom event using the "sonic", not the "hypersonic". I've also heard mixed reactions about sailing in swell.

Interestingly starboard are rumoured to be introducing significant changes to the 2004 hyper's, US distributers are already significantly reducing costs on 03 boards.

rumour is 3 board range, all 218cm x 77cm with volumes of 96l, 111l, and 130l

guess we wait and see ?

Rumour i have heard from a industry insider (very mysterious i know!) is that the Hypersonic is a pretty potent board in the right hands for the right application / type of sailor - but this is pretty niche - And a lot of people have apparently "burnt their fingers" swallowing the overt hype / buying the board with mis-preconceptions. They are already going cheaper than RRP after just a few months...

I think there is a general feeling that it is a potentially interesting development - but maybe the extreme windsurfing media interest was more of a reflection on the state of the industry rather than the board itself?? (ie trying to sex itself up in the face of kitesurfing maybe - dunno?)


I have seen them in action and they are potent - but not the great windsurfing saviour that some were hailing them as ie a board for all occasions / people.

However - Without doubt if you are an active sailor who knows how to pump and likes technicalities, enjoys blasting fast and going up/down back and forth sailing in light-Med winds then they seem spot on....as someone else said - akin to a mini formula on speed!
And it seems that those people that fall into this category simply LOVE them!!

But If you want to do things different to this ie carve, jump or try moves and freestyle then maybe look elsewhere (*board carve, skate, cross, JP freestyle, Freeride etc)

I for one have decided to turn my back on larger kit (>6.5 and 100 liters) and if its blowing more than a F4 then id prefer my throwaout freestyle / wave kit. (I will probably regret this come August!!)

Anyway - thats my thoughts / opinion

Cheers,
Ste

posted on rec.windsurfing

Early this season, there were lots of questions about the Hypersonic....sail
range, speed, handling, etc., etc. Well, now I've had mine for awhile,
here's a summary of my impressions:

Speed: In a straight line, fully powered, with equal riders on similarly
sized sails, the Hypersonic is fast, but not as fast as many good slalom
boards. But, in variable conditions, the Hypersonic excells due to it's
ability to hold speed through the lulls. The Hypersonic can also hold
larger sails than the equivalent slalom board and thus with larger sails and
good rider skill, come close to matching the top speed of any slalom board
(match, but not exceed). The Hyper is also very "peaky" in that it takes
some work to get in the "top speed" groove (you know that feel) and it drops
out easily.

Sail range: The Hypersonic can certainly be sailed with sizes from 5.0 to
10.0, but the real sweet spot is between 6.0 and 9.0, maybe even 6.5 to 8.5.
It starts to feel really big and out of control to me with anything less
than 5.9, and really small compared to the sail with anything greater than
8.7. Uphauling anything bigger than and including an 8.7 can be quite a
challenge. It can certainly be done, but it's not fun or good for your
back.

Pointing and Downwind: The Hypersonic will totally destroy any other slalom
board in these areas. If they're starting to pass you, just point upwind.
I'd say that with the optimum setup for slalom on a Hyper vs. the optimum on
a good slalom board, the Hyper can go 15 degrees higher and lower. I've
beaten Formula boards upwind in strong conditions.

Gybes: The Hypersonic gybes differently than good slalom boards. It's just
not as satisfying. Not to say that it isn't capable of good tight and/or
wide planing gybes, and not to say that it doesn't exit on a plane more
frequently than most. But I always feel I'm having to horse it around.
It's wide and really needs to be stood on, and, because of the wide planing
area in the tail, the faster you enter a gybe, the harder it is to sink the
lee rail. 90% of the time, the Hyper will get you out of a gybe onto a
plane quicker than any other slalom board, but I miss the relatively
effortless feel of narrower boards.

Tacks: Tacks OK, but that nose is small. Get around quickly and keep the
nose out of the water. I'm about 90% on tacks with sails from 6.6 to 8.7.
I still prefer a gybe it I need to get pointed in the other direction with
more certainty.

Spin out: No more or less than any other board, but it does take getting
used to. I've only sailed with the stock fins which seem just fine to me.
You will spin out until you get some time on the board, and then as you dial
in on tuning and develop a feel, spin out goes away. This scenario is
pretty much my experience with any new and different board and fin. (Yes
Bill, sailors CAUSE spin out, not fins and boards.)

Around the course: The Hypersonic, in the hands of a less than pro sailor,
will get around the buoys faster than most anything else. I've sailed with
friends in a variety of conditions now, and while they've used two or three
boards to span the range of conditions, I've stuck to the Hyper. Sometimes,
I'm faster straight line, sometimes, I'm not, but always I get around the
buoys faster. I can point a little higher and go fast, I can point a little
lower and go fast, I can coast through the lulls, and most importantly, I
get planing a little faster and get out of the gybes quicker. A pro who
never drops off a plane and never fails to nail a gybe would beat me every
time, but let's face it. I'm never going to sail against someone like that.

Summary: The Hyper does have good range and good all around performance,
but it's not the ultimate for straight line speed and it's not as much fun
to sail as a pure slalom shape. Unless you race at the non-pro level or
just get a lot of fun out of beating your friends around the buoys, the
Hyper may not be for you. It's quirky, and will take some definite getting
used to. There are many cheaper alternatives that have almost the same
range (6.5 to 8.5) and that will be a lot more fun to sail for the average
guy.

All the mags agree that the Hypersonic is a special board and that its revolutionary design will spawn many copies and further developments over the coming years. For once you CAN believe the hype. Although I didn't, until I sailed one. Then it was straight out with the credit card!
Most of the postings here are correct but I would add a bit more.
Firstly, the people who don't like the Hypersonic are mostly beginners and those with poor technique or even older sailors 'set in their ways'. The Hyper is a demanding board to gybe and is certainly not 'loose' in the wave-board sense. If you gybe with good technique however, the HS is a rewarding and fast board to gybe. It doesn't lose speed in the turn because of it's wide tail.
Secondly, the board has been marketed as a racing slalom board, which I believe is restrictive labelling. I use it for summer cruising and have, this very afternoon, sailed from Brighton Pier up to Shoreham beach and back (10 miles each way, as the crow flies?). It took 40 minutes there (upwind, 4 tacks) and about 20 minutes back – would have been less had my feet arches not complained. I would not rate myself as a fast sailor but this is one fast board, and I've yet to be over-taken on it. It also points 10 degrees higher than most boards, and will plane dead downwind if asked to. My friend has just bought one as his lightwind board too. He now planes much earlier and so spends more time on the water. Plus he can stay upwind, whereas he used to do a lot of walking...!
Thirdly, for proper slalom and easier gybing I would recommend a smaller and more raked back skeg than either of the two supplied. You certainly don't need as long a skeg as you might think, however big your sail.
Fourthly, as far as sail size goes, this board has replaced two boards for me and I sail it with a 7.8 down to a 5.5. You can put a much larger sail on it but the weight of the extra rig will give you little extra benefit. I was sailing the HyperSonic with a 7m sail today and was planing before anyone else. With good technique you can coax the Hyper onto the plane easily and then it flies so fast that it makes its own wind!
Starboard are taking the concept further and their new designs are being launched on their web-site (www.star-board.com) on August 14th. I believe their are two more sizes coming out in the Hypersonic range, rather than the board I have being already outdated. Wait and see, but if you get the chance to buy a 2003 at a reduced rate then I would go for it! The wood version is supposed to be stiffer and lighter but my D-ram version is as light as my wave boards and I'm more than happy with it.

If you are still not convinced, then test sail one!

Basher

hey basher, out of interest what do you weigh ? I reckon the 105 is too small for me (85kg) but the bigger one appeals instead of my techno.

Paul, I think what you wrote about the Hypersonic is spot on.
But I'm a bit lighter than you at less than 11 stone.
(I've been eating chips on the seafront in Brighton recently, but my normal weight is about 65kgs or 10stone 3lbs.) Fellow windsurfers also comment that I have 'hollow legs' when it comes to early planing!

I think the Hypersonic 105 prototype was perhaps designed for typical Thai people who weigh about the same as me. Heavier people might benefit from the 125 litres version. especially in lighter winds.
I am looking forward to seeing what Starboard bring out next, plus how the other brands react. But I doubt whether, for me, the 2004 version will better the current 105 litres 2003 Hypersonic.

Basher

Milkypies who uses this forum has 1,ive seen him on it at WSM using a 7.5 i think?

Thanks for that Basher, 65kg does help with early planning, still there is rumour of that 130l hyper next year, otherwise there is always formula as once I can get out on a 6.5 I'm on a small board anyway..

hmm or I could give up cakes <lol>

I see in the August Issue, Boards Mag have made the Hypersonic their 'board of the year'