The exciting question in this test was whether the new Starboard Gen R could be a sporty touring alternative to the classic Starboard Touring.
Small differences in the key data
Firstly, let's take a look at the boards on land: Both boards are 14 feet long, which is also the maximum length you can usually buy and so both boards can already tap into the maximum speed potential from this side - at least in theory. This is because the length of SUP boards - as with canoes, sailing yachts or motorboats - is the limiting physical factor for speed. At least as long as the vehicle does not start to glide. You can find out exactly what this is all about in more detail below. The boards do not differ in length, but the Gen R is one inch narrower in width. An inch is 2.54 centimetres, so not a huge difference. Nevertheless, the width should not be underestimated in terms of speed and also when it comes to how much power you need to hold a board at a certain speed, for example seven kilometres per hour. If all boards of similar length and width were equally fast, the test would be over on land, but of course it's not that simple!
In this case, the Starboard Touring is narrower at the bow, has a slightly wider tail and the underwater hull is quite rounded at the front. The shapes on the underside also differ significantly (see photos). The deck is slightly lowered on both boards, the Touring has no soft deck at the back, but plenty of space for luggage. That leaves the weight: at 13.9 kilos, the Gen R in carbon construction is exactly one kilo lighter in the hand than the touring board. Experience has shown that on the water, this no longer plays a noticeable role for most characteristics.
Let's go - the practical test
The first impression after getting on the board and trying it out: Both boards don't have much in common, to say the least. The Touring is only a little more stable in the water when standing and paddling slowly, making fewer small wobbles. In technical jargon, this is called "primary stability". This makes the Gen R seem a little livelier, wobbling slightly more around its longitudinal axis. This quasi-static stability ensures comfort, but is not responsible for whether you stand more securely on the board in choppy water, for example, and above all stay dry with greater safety. This depends much more on the "secondary stability", which can also be understood as dynamic stability. If a board rolls to one side, at some point it reaches a noticeable stopping point where it suddenly gives the foot significantly more support again. This varies, but is very similar for these two candidates. After maybe ten or 15 degrees sideways - when one foot is roughly level with the surface of the water - you will find a noticeable counter support, which ensures good overall stability in this width class. You stand dry on both boards, hardly any water comes over and the drainage works. For very light paddlers under 60 kilos, the Touring does not lie completely in the water, with around 20 centimetres being lost at the front. With the slightly flatter nose, the Gen R turns a little more smoothly in crosbow turns (if you stay in the centre), while the bow of the touring board, which is lower in the water, offers a little more resistance - as is usual with all displacement shapes of this type. The big advantage of the Gen R is in buoy turns, only here you can run well to the rear, the cockpit rises only slightly to the rear and is covered throughout with a non-slip EVA carpet.
Performance: Your favourite speed determines which board performs better
But now to the essentials: Which board is faster? The clear answer: Both! That sounds strange, but it was a clear test result. But how do we arrive at the results? In this case, two testers (59 and 82 kilos) completed the tried and tested test programme. We paddled three to four speed levels one after the other over defined distances and recorded the speed with GPS measurements. We start with almost unpressurised paddling, for the speed that a board "voluntarily" gives up (pulse 100 ;-). Then it's on to cruising speed, a decent touring speed that you can maintain for hours without overstraining yourself. The next stage then pushes the pulse upwards, paddling as if the aim is to get as far as possible in an hour - in other words, in the area of sporting fitness training. The last stage is then a short sprint of perhaps 30 to 40 paddle strokes to see what you can get out of it. The top speed is a question of the board and even more so of the paddle power, which is why the values in the test are comparable but not absolutely binding.
Touring slightly ahead at medium speed, Gen R with more top speed
In phases 1 and 2, the Starboard Touring was actually slightly ahead. Both at a very leisurely pace and up to a typical touring speed of 6 km/h, the board runs with slightly less paddle pressure, i.e. a little more light-handed. Subjectively, the pointed nose goes through the water with slightly less resistance in this speed range. The Gen R requires slightly more pressure on the paddle at the same speed - but this is reversed when switching to Sport mode. While the Touring is difficult to get above nine km/h and then feels like it has to be pushed through the water, the Gen R lifts slightly at the front as the speed increases and can be moved a good 1.5 km/h faster at top speed. In our runs, this was 10.5 to 12.0 km/h, which will of course vary up or down depending on paddle power, but in our experience indicates very good potential for boards of this width. For leisurely to normal tours at speeds of up to around six or seven km/h, the Touring not only keeps up, but also offers slight advantages. For those who want to keep going at eight km/h or even more, the Gen R offers more potential.
What is the actual fuselage speed?
A brief excursion into Wikipedia theory:"Hull speed is the speed of a ship at which the wavelength of the bow wave reaches the wave-forming length of the ship and, as a result, the flow resistance increases sharply. Boats and ships with displacement hulls can hardly exceed this speed even with increased power". The formula for the fuselage speed in km/h is
- V (km/h) = root of the waterline length times 4.5
For a board with a length of 14 feet, this results in 9.3 km/h. In addition, the resistance increases considerably, so much so that when ships are towed by longer vessels, there is a risk of enormous damage if the hull speed of the towed vessel is exceeded. Experience shows that the exponential, strong increase in resistance of SUP boards is slightly below the theoretical values, especially with wider boards. Why so much theory? This also makes it easier to understand the differences, especially with race-orientated SUP shapes. To achieve more than nine or ten km/h, a board should have some "gliding potential". Top paddlers can maintain speeds of over 10 km/h and reach top speeds of 15 km/h and more.
A pure displacer against a semi-glider
If you look at the underside of the two boards tested here, the very pointed displacement bow of the Touring stands out. This is slim and rounded on the underside and lies deep in the water. On the Gen R, the nose looks beefier and the underside is designed as a rather flat planing surface further forwards. However, at medium speed, the board also shares the water with the bow and therefore doesn't give away an inch of waterline length.
While the theory
SUP conclusion
- TheStarboard Touringboardretains its raison d'être and is in many cases the better choice for tours at normal to brisk speeds: because of more space for luggage and because it is even a little easier to propel up to around 6 to 7 km/h. In addition, it is somewhat more stable and safer overall. In addition, it is more stable and safer overall.
- TheStarboard Gen R is a sporty alternative for paddlers who, in addition to touring, also have fitness training or even racing on their wish list. At very high cruising speeds and at top speed, the board is noticeably (training mode) to significantly (top speed) faster and is well suited for beach races and for fast turns where you stand far back on the tail. We presented the even sportier Gen R 14' x 25'' here.The shape also proves its worth in wavy conditions, with "downwinders", when you use wind and wave thrust from behind.
