Windsurfing Equipment Tests - American Windsurfer

Boards: F2 @ Aruba

Novice Control Speed Race Explore Balance

F2 Ride 282

The Ride 282 has been a popular board since its introduction a year ago, and despite tough competition from some new boards in this size range, it’s still a good all-around high-wind board for heavier sailors. With a flatter rocker than its sibling, the Ride 277, and much more of a chop and slalom orientation, it works best in strong winds and rough water. That’s where its controllability really comes into play. Though it’s not a loose board, it carves a smooth, predictable wide jibe. Components are excellent, non-skid is good, and high ding resistance makes it a natural for anyone who tends to beat up fragile boards. The combination of durability and a huge range of strap positions makes the 282 best for lightweight intermediates and heavyweight advanced to expert high-wind riders.

Power Rating 65
Length 9’1”
Width 23.3”
Volume 118 Liters
Weight 16.9 lbs.
Planing 8.0
Reaching 8.5
Upwind 7.5
Tight turns 7.5
Wide turns 9.0
Ding rating 48+
Price $1,399
Includes: Straps, Pads, Fin

Recommended sail:
Freeride 6.0 to 8.0

Novice Control Speed Race Explore Balance

F2 Thommen 295 II

The Thommen 295 II was the latest thinking in conventional course-slalom boards when it came out in the summer of 1998 and proved itself the best, most accessible all-around race board in this year’s race board test. It’s not all that wide at 24.4 inches, but it’s quick to plane and fast on all points of sail. We were amazed at its speed and easy handling on fast broad reaches and its ability to carve smooth, fast jibes. Its greatest strength is that it’s just plain easy to sail. Though this board would have been considered suitable for racing in marginal winds if it had come out a year earlier, coming out as it did in ‘98, it’s considered a high-wind, course-slalom board by serious course racers. This fact is reinforced by the fin, which is a thin, flexible 45-cm blade. It rips in 20 to 30, but is a bit too small and sharp in big-sail, marginal conditions.

Power Rating 70
Length 9’7”
Width 24.4”
Volume 143 Liters
Weight 15.5 lbs.
Planing 9.0
Reaching 8.5
Upwind 9.5
Tight turns 7.0
Wide turns 9.0
Ding rating 20
Price $1,595
Includes: Straps, Pads, Fin

Recommended sail:
Freeride & Race 7.0 to 9.0

Novice Control Speed Race Explore Balance

F2 Xantos 295 II

We’re used to thinking of the Xantos 295 as a pretty big board but when we sailed it in Aruba it somehow felt small. A quick look at the numbers tells us why: This board is actually narrower than the Ride 282. How does that affect its performance? Since there are so many wider boards these days, the Xantos 295 is much more oriented toward high-wind sailing and rough water than we would have said in the past. It unwets beautifully, goes like blazes on a reach - very smooth, superbly controllable - and jibes easily. Construction on this thermoform-sandwich version is tough and strong, and components are impeccable. Medium-weight intermediate to advanced riders looking for some flotation in a tough, rough-water board should look no further.

Power Rating 63
Length 9’7”
Width 23.0”
Volume 129 Liters
Weight 17.6 lbs.
Planing 8.0
Reaching 8.5
Upwind 8.0
Tight turns 8.0
Wide turns 9.0
Ding rating 48+
Price $1,399
Includes: Straps, Pads, Fin

Recommended sail:
Freeride 5.5 to 7.5

Novice Control Speed Race Explore Balance

F2 Xantos 310 II CSE

The Xantos 310 was a popular light-air board for heavyweights last year. Now that it’s no longer one of the wider boards around, and thus no longer one of the quickest to plane off under a heavy load, it fits in more as an all-around short board for heavyweights. It has an excellent ability to unwet in rough chop and is therefore plenty fast on a reach. It’s also easy to jibe, with a bit of bias toward tight turns rather than wide, though it’s good at both. This Carbon Special Edition version isn’t race-board light, but it’s lighter than the super-tough standard version and a bit livelier in feel. The components are as good as what we find on the standard Xantos 310 - good straps and pads, excellent anti-twist, good fin - and the non-skid gave us no trouble at all.

Power Rating 66
Length 10’1”
Width 24.6”
Volume 147 Liters
Weight 17.1 lbs.
Planing 8.5
Reaching 8.0
Upwind 8.0
Tight turns 7.5
Wide turns 8.5
Ding rating 28
Price $1,599
Includes: Straps, Pads, Fin

Recommended sail:
Freeride 6.0 to 8.0

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