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AMERICAN WINDSURFER MAGAZINE
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HI-FLY FREE 272
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FREE 272
Length: 266.5cm Width: 62 cm
Volume: 118 ltrs Weight: 16/7.2kg
Upwind: 4.17 Planing: 4.33
Speed: 4.17 Handling: 3.83
Jibe: 3.83 Overall: 4.07
Price: $1,398 Includes: Straps, Pads, Fin
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This board might be considered a cross between the Bic Techno 273 and RRD Freeride 276. Performance-wise, it’s probably more like the Bic; construction-wise, it’s carbon sandwich like the RRD, which is also made at Cobra; shape-wise, it splits the path between the two. The HiFly (121 liters) doesn’t have as much width or vee as the Bic (123 liters), but it’s not quite as slim as the thinner RRD (105 liters), whose bottom flattens at the tail.
Strength-wise, the reinforcement around the Power finbox passed our most brutal accidental test. One sailor was screaming along overpowered on a Sailworks 7.0 Retro when the Finworks 12.5-inch (31.75 cm) Wave Blade (like with the 262, we switched from the original 38 cm pointer) whacked a coral head so hard it ripped out of the screw. The board was unscathed, not even a crack around the screw head, and just a nick under the tail where the fin flew back and tried to dig in. We were astonished.
SCORE: (12 ratings)
Upwind 4.17 Planing 4.33 Speed 4.17 Handling 3.83 Jibe 3.83 Overall 4.07
COMMENTS:
“A bit too big of a board for my weight,” said one woman. [N Johnson]
“Not a convertible-style board. A good maneuvering slalom board.” [Coach]
“A great board,” said one basic intermediate. “Handles really well, jibes pretty good.” [de Haan] |
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