Hi all, long time reader, infrequent poster.
Im looking at buying a foil set of this latest series: 109+ MkII fuselage (comparable to previous 115+) and SLR Mk2 wings: 750 front and 255 -2 rear. I presently have an IQ foil set.
This latest range of race kit has been out for a year or more, but I haven't been able to find any feedback on them apart from this one review:
www.windfoilen.nl/en/starboard-slalom-race-mkii-foil-review/
The fuselage looks to be a minor improvement over the Evolution Mk1 fuselages (maybe a bigger improvement over the IQ 115+ with the saddle system). But the SLR MK2 wings are a more dramatic change. The dramatically more streamlined shape looks much more like the phantom foils (which everyone seems to agree at one of the industry leaders at this stage). However the review above seemed a bit mixed on the performance.
The 750 wing seems to replace the earlier 900, and the 880 replacing the 1000. It's hard to tell what the detailed differences are because, unlike other manufacturers, Starboard publish no specs whatsoever of their wings. So can't do any span, chord, etc comparisons.
If anyone has any experience with these wings I would love to hear. Thanks
Guess I'll have to do again, two years in a row. The foil you plan to buy is already outdated according to Starboard and a new one is out.
surf-center.com/nl/starboard-evolution-mkii-slr-2-race-foil-set
Personally I've abandoned Starboards foil products as I feel they're riding the Olympics pension and are not invested in our market anymore.
Take a look at their communication channels on Instagram or Facebook, they are just not there and you are finding this out from John Doe me.
The industry is currently in a bad spot and there are products and companies more deserving of our money. Phantom, F4, Lokefoil, Patrik, Z-foils, Neil Pryde, sorry if I missed any. I switched from the IQ this year and actually went with Select. Day and night difference and I'm not just talking about the price tag, it goes toe to toe with the likes of F4 SB slr and Phantom IrisR on my local spot.
It seems they have partnered/hired Martin Fischer, a designer who works or worked on some America's Cup boats to work on their foils. That means it is possible they will come up with new wing that won't fit the current fuselage. their marketing and customer service is pretty bad, IMO
Select to expand quoteWillyWind said..
It seems they have partnered/hired Martin Fischer, a designer who works or worked on some America's Cup boats to work on their foils. That means it is possible they will come up with new wing that won't fit the current fuselage. their marketing and customer service is pretty bad, IMO
?si=WV8_rrVEUeOJ0eTp
According to the available info they seem to have merged their windfoil and wingfoil front wings into one. The X-15/Team R wingfoil class uses the same 560 front wing as the slalom SLR-2.
starboardfoils.com/pages/2024-x15-and-team
surf-center.com/nl/starboard-evolution-mkii-slr-2-slalom-foil-set
Select to expand quoteDishpet said..
Guess I'll have to do again, two years in a row. The foil you plan to buy is already outdated according to Starboard and a new one is out.
surf-center.com/nl/starboard-evolution-mkii-slr-2-race-foil-set
Personally I've abandoned Starboards foil products as I feel they're riding the Olympics pension and are not invested in our market anymore.
Take a look at their communication channels on Instagram or Facebook, they are just not there and you are finding this out from John Doe me.
The industry is currently in a bad spot and there are products and companies more deserving of our money. Phantom, F4, Lokefoil, Patrik, Z-foils, Neil Pryde, sorry if I missed any. I switched from the IQ this year and actually went with Select. Day and night difference and I'm not just talking about the price tag, it goes toe to toe with the likes of F4 SB slr and Phantom IrisR on my local spot.
The foil set you have linked to is the set I'm looking at, so can't see that it has been outdated yet. I hear you on starboard gear though. I agree they are lagging in development. It really depends on what brands tend to be available in your country/region. In Auckland, NZ, where I am, it's pretty much all starboard (big IQ contingent) and the odd phantom. Once you have started with a brand the cost of a full switch to another brand is pretty high as well - when a carbon mast is $3k alone. So we try to make do with what we have. If I was starting over I am sure I would go with phantom. But in the meantime any thoughts welcome on the starboard stuff.
The main thing I am interested in is the change from the 1000/900 wings (previous evolution - which were much the same as the iq era wings) to the 880/750 wings (latest range). These appear to be the equivalent replacements. It sounds like a big difference (in surface area), but only because starboard don't give any other specs. The surface area has mainly been reduced by narrowing the wings towards the tips. Supposedly the bulk of lift is generated near the centre of the wing, so little is lost by streamlining the tips. That makes sense theoretically, but interested to know if it works in practice.
Select to expand quoteshaneNZ said..Dishpet said..
Guess I'll have to do again, two years in a row. The foil you plan to buy is already outdated according to Starboard and a new one is out.
surf-center.com/nl/starboard-evolution-mkii-slr-2-race-foil-set
Personally I've abandoned Starboards foil products as I feel they're riding the Olympics pension and are not invested in our market anymore.
Take a look at their communication channels on Instagram or Facebook, they are just not there and you are finding this out from John Doe me.
The industry is currently in a bad spot and there are products and companies more deserving of our money. Phantom, F4, Lokefoil, Patrik, Z-foils, Neil Pryde, sorry if I missed any. I switched from the IQ this year and actually went with Select. Day and night difference and I'm not just talking about the price tag, it goes toe to toe with the likes of F4 SB slr and Phantom IrisR on my local spot.
The foil set you have linked to is the set I'm looking at, so can't see that it has been outdated yet. I hear you on starboard gear though. I agree they are lagging in development. It really depends on what brands tend to be available in your country/region. In Auckland, NZ, where I am, it's pretty much all starboard (big IQ contingent) and the odd phantom. Once you have started with a brand the cost of a full switch to another brand is pretty high as well - when a carbon mast is $3k alone. So we try to make do with what we have. If I was starting over I am sure I would go with phantom. But in the meantime any thoughts welcome on the starboard stuff.
The main thing I am interested in is the change from the 1000/900 wings (previous evolution - which were much the same as the iq era wings) to the 880/750 wings (latest range). These appear to be the equivalent replacements. It sounds like a big difference (in surface area), but only because starboard don't give any other specs. The surface area has mainly been reduced by narrowing the wings towards the tips. Supposedly the bulk of lift is generated near the centre of the wing, so little is lost by streamlining the tips. That makes sense theoretically, but interested to know if it works in practice.
My bad, I see you've mentioned the SLR2 wing, the new fuse is called Jumbo as far as I know. I cant comment on the 880/750 though but wings have evolved significantly as I can tell from my set which is very Z-foil like. You've linked the review and I think it sums it up very well. Less VMG - more speed and glide feeling oriented.
Here's another review (in French) claiming the new SLR wings are (maybe ?) slightly behind in pure speed but more forgiving and accessible : windfoilfan.glissattitude.com/devices/foil/starboard-slr-team-set-evolution-mkii-c800-2023?page=2
A lot of mention of the extra glide and stiffness from the mast in the french review. Wouldn't mind trying just the new fuse/slr mk ii front and tail combo on the older iq mast, as that alone is about $1k vs. a newer mast alone is more like $2.6k. And I'm still not that fast (only recently touching on 24kts with the old 550 wing on my 2nd session with it, still learning a lot).
I have the 560 SLR and 460 SLR with evolution 99 mk2 fuselaje. Before I sail with the older 650 front wing. And the different is very big. The 560 SLR for me is the lightwind wing for slalom foil, and I think the 650 is a little bit faster. The 460 is for medium and high wind, and is really a fast wing, faster then the old 650 wing. The SLR wings have a better performance than the older ones, and you need less front wing compared to the old wings.
I've just received my new Evolution MKII 560/210 foil with 99 fuselage and C600 95cm mast. Have previously (for the last few years) been using the GTR+ foil (800/330 wings, 850 mast and 95 fuselage) and always found it to be easy to get up on the foil and stable. I recently purchased an Evolution foil (650/255 wing, 950 mast and 105 fuselage) to try and get some faster GPS speeds and found it needed more wind to get up and going. When it did get going, it seemed nice and stable also, but not necessarily that much quicker, although I haven't used it a lot or pushed it to it's limits at all. Have purchased the the new MKII (560/210) thinking it will get going in similar wind strength to the 650/255, but with a higher top end speed.
My top speed on the 800/330 GTR+ has been 27 knots (feeling like I'm pushing it) , but only about 24 knots on the Evo 650/255 (not pushing it at all), so can't wait to try the new Evo MKII 560/210. I'm thinking I'll only need the larger and smaller foil for most conditions, so wasn't going to keep the 650/255?
Xavier, did you find the 650 faster than the 560? Interesting if that's the case and from the first post, sounds like smaller front wings and now replacing what were larger ones for the same conditions.
I have a set of SLR wings with the 99 fuselage. 750/560/460 with 210/175 tail wings. Mainly use the 560 wing above 14 knots. 6.2 sail. 70kg. The 750 is for really light days but get on the 560 whenever I can. Easy to control as there's hardly and sense of breaching. Used the 460/210 for only the third time just today. 6.2 sail, gusting 20 knots. Typical lumpy Lyttelton harbour. The 460 felt really good. More take off speed required naturally. Mite be changing my favorite 560 for the 460 a bit more now.. Surprised how well it went up wind. Bearing off felt real controllable at speed. Using a 81 slalom starboard. Definitely an improvement on the old wings. Foil speed has improved some but not a lot. But the control has. Feel more comfortable at speed. The wings feel slicker but a little more board speed required to fly, Have considered a 109 fuselage. But I like sailing on windsurfing angles and think the 109 will force me up wind. The small wings and 99 fuselage has a windsurfing feel to it. Will have to try the 460/175 combo a bit more now. As today's session felt really good. That was with the 210 tail. I'm in the same boat as others. Availability of equipment determines what I ride.
So thanks to NZ boardstore. Reliable gear that works well. And available. End of the day... Technical ability, wind and water state and how big your balls are determines how fast you can go.
Managed an unexpected late foil session on the 560/210 this evening. First time out on it and the wind was 15-18 knots. Surprisingly easy to get going and nice and stable. Cruising upwind in chop at at 21-22 knots and reaching 25 knots off the wind in the flat. Managed a few planing gybes. All in all, a fantastic first go on this new foil. I think I will be able to let go of the 650/230 Evo Foil and just go straight from using the 800/330 GTR+ in lighter winds to this when the wind is up a bit. Sounds like I may need to look at getting a 460 front wing as well!
Video from this session:
Select to expand quoteAUS02 said..
Managed an unexpected late foil session on the 560/210 this evening. First time out on it and the wind was 15-18 knots. Surprisingly easy to get going and nice and stable. Cruising upwind in chop at at 21-22 knots and reaching 25 knots off the wind in the flat. Managed a few planing gybes. All in all, a fantastic first go on this new foil. I think I will be able to let go of the 650/230 Evo Foil and just go straight from using the 800/330 GTR+ in lighter winds to this when the wind is up a bit. Sounds like I may need to look at getting a 460 front wing as well!
Video from this session:
What foil mast are you using?
It's the new C600 95cm mast. Bought as a complete kit: Evolution MKII 560/210 foil with 99 fuselage and C600 95cm mast. I've been using C300 masts prior to now and this one did seem pretty stiff, but only one session on it so far.
Hi , ... new here and hello from Belgium. Interesting foil reading here 
. Does anybody know if the new MKII fuselages for the New SLR wings are really needed to carry the SLR 2024 wings ? Can you use an EVO MK1 fuselage too ? So in short ... are they interchangeble ?
Kind regards,
Kurt
Select to expand quoteKurtGalens said..
Hi , ... new here and hello from Belgium. Interesting foil reading here . Does anybody know if the new MKII fuselages for the New SLR wings are really needed to carry the SLR 2024 wings ? Can you use an EVO MK1 fuselage too ? So in short ... are they interchangeble ?
Kind regards,
Kurt
Front wings are interchangeable, backwings not.
StarboardFoils: great product development and execution, terrible customer service. Not sure if Olympic IQ leaves them no bandwidth, or if "less is more" is their marketing/service strategy.
Select to expand quoteFoilorFinFrank said..
StarboardFoils: great product development and execution, terrible customer service.
I disagree. I gave up on Starboard because of their habit to come out with incompatible new stuff every year. It's been even worse for their surf-type foils. I have perfectly good Starboard foils that are basically unusable because replacement parts are not available. That may be a bent mast, but can also be something as trivial as the plastic on the mast-fuse connection deforming over time.
There are other brands out there that are at least as good in foil development but managed to keep things compatible. If I want to get a newer Axis foil, I only need to by the wing, not a new fuse that then requires a new tail wing.
Neither do I think their execution is great. I had three different fuses and 4 front wings from their SuperCruiser / Wave selection which in theory were identical, but in practice could not be swapped, unless you were willing to live with a lot of wiggle for some combinations.
So today I bought the 109 Evo mk2 fuse, along with the SLR 880 and 560 front wings, and the 210 rear. I probably would have gone for the 750 instead of the 880 but it was sold out.
i was a bit torn on the rear wing - whether to go for the 255 (possibly a better match for the 880) or the 210 (possibly better match for the 560). NZBoardstore talked me into the 210, but said I can swap if I don't like.
any thoughts on which rear to go for would be appreciated. Thanks
Select to expand quoteHow was it?? I'm willing to Buy te 109 fuse, the 255 stab and the 880 wing, Buy I have no references.
I'm 110 kg, 2 m tall and I want it for course racing
Currently using an 87? C600 Mast, IQ fuse 115+, IQ 255 -2? stab and Millenium wing
Select to expand quoteboardsurfr said..FoilorFinFrank said..
StarboardFoils: great product development and execution, terrible customer service.
I disagree. I gave up on Starboard because of their habit to come out with incompatible new stuff every year. It's been even worse for their surf-type foils. I have perfectly good Starboard foils that are basically unusable because replacement parts are not available. That may be a bent mast, but can also be something as trivial as the plastic on the mast-fuse connection deforming over time.
There are other brands out there that are at least as good in foil development but managed to keep things compatible. If I want to get a newer Axis foil, I only need to by the wing, not a new fuse that then requires a new tail wing.
Neither do I think their execution is great. I had three different fuses and 4 front wings from their SuperCruiser / Wave selection which in theory were identical, but in practice could not be swapped, unless you were willing to live with a lot of wiggle for some combinations.
Well, I don't know much about the wing/surf foil line products, but regarding windfoil ... I disagree a bit ;)
Some other brands have also compatibility issues, when you want to evolve your product, sometimes you have to define a new fixation standard. Have a look at Sabfoil, very difficult to understand which wing is compatible with which fuselage with which screw format (M8 and M6). Plus they introduce a totally new line for slalom windfoil.
SB kept always the same mat fixation format .. all are compatible from the first generation. Ok, the fuselage evolves from classic -> plus -> evo -> mkII -> Jumbo .. but you have only two fixations format for the tail and for the front wings. Up to you to mix up everything, so you can use the classic wing "evo" on a jumbo, use the SLR tail (produced in both formats for the transition) on the classic fuselage, etc.
Like all brands, the problem is the second hand, usually people want to resell the whole set, we found only pieces for specific wing upgrades ... outside of the SB selling package.
Select to expand quoteLezardo said..boardsurfr said..FoilorFinFrank said..
StarboardFoils: great product development and execution, terrible customer service.
I disagree. I gave up on Starboard because of their habit to come out with incompatible new stuff every year. It's been even worse for their surf-type foils. I have perfectly good Starboard foils that are basically unusable because replacement parts are not available. That may be a bent mast, but can also be something as trivial as the plastic on the mast-fuse connection deforming over time.
There are other brands out there that are at least as good in foil development but managed to keep things compatible. If I want to get a newer Axis foil, I only need to by the wing, not a new fuse that then requires a new tail wing.
Neither do I think their execution is great. I had three different fuses and 4 front wings from their SuperCruiser / Wave selection which in theory were identical, but in practice could not be swapped, unless you were willing to live with a lot of wiggle for some combinations.
Well, I don't know much about the wing/surf foil line products, but regarding windfoil ... I disagree a bit ;)
Some other brands have also compatibility issues, when you want to evolve your product, sometimes you have to define a new fixation standard. Have a look at Sabfoil, very difficult to understand which wing is compatible with which fuselage with which screw format (M8 and M6). Plus they introduce a totally new line for slalom windfoil.
SB kept always the same mat fixation format .. all are compatible from the first generation. Ok, the fuselage evolves from classic -> plus -> evo -> mkII -> Jumbo .. but you have only two fixations format for the tail and for the front wings. Up to you to mix up everything, so you can use the classic wing "evo" on a jumbo, use the SLR tail (produced in both formats for the transition) on the classic fuselage, etc.
Like all brands, the problem is the second hand, usually people want to resell the whole set, we found only pieces for specific wing upgrades ... outside of the SB selling package.
Agree. Initially they were one of the only manufacturers that maintained (within the race line) full compatibility. They have unfortunately for one excuse or another, started to mix it up year to year now though.
I'm just glad they've left the mast to fuselage socket the same. The mast is the expensive bit.
Select to expand quoteshaneNZ said..
So today I bought the 109 Evo mk2 fuse, along with the SLR 880 and 560 front wings, and the 210 rear. I probably would have gone for the 750 instead of the 880 but it was sold out.
i was a bit torn on the rear wing - whether to go for the 255 (possibly a better match for the 880) or the 210 (possibly better match for the 560). NZBoardstore talked me into the 210, but said I can swap if I don't like.
any thoughts on which rear to go for would be appreciated. Thanks
I have the 750 SLR mki and am looking for the 880 SLR mki, if you are interested we can arrange something. Unfortunately the market is pretty empty and i really wonder why there are not many of the slr mki / mkii foils out there.
The 750 is great, could fly with junior IQ foilers maybe a knot later but i was on 8.0 and 85kg while the kids weigh much less and most of them use 9.0 sail with 900 front wing. Still I am missing quite a bit power for my local lake which is very gusty so in extreme low wind days (when 560 is not enough) I would rather try the 880.
Edit: I am still looking desperately for a SLR 460 , 390 front and a 175 back wing to complete the setup.
Select to expand quoteLezardo said..
SB kept always the same mat fixation format .. all are compatible from the first generation. Ok, the fuselage evolves from classic -> plus -> evo -> mkII -> Jumbo .. but you have only two fixations format for the tail and for the front wings. Up to you to mix up everything, so you can use the classic wing "evo" on a jumbo, use the SLR tail (produced in both formats for the transition) on the classic fuselage, etc.
Like all brands, the problem is the second hand, usually people want to resell the whole set, we found only pieces for specific wing upgrades ... outside of the SB selling package.
Maybe if you are only looking at race foils. Starboard also had two different setups for their freeride foils and their wave foils, and those changed multiple times over the years. I'm only talking about foils that were sold for windfoiling. I have three different incompatible SB fuses and wing sets, and have not been able to get replacements for any of the parts that break from dealers or used, except for the IQ-foil compatible stuff. The only option would have been to get yet another fuse, and new front and/or rear wings. It's quite possible that there are other brands that make similar questionable frequent design changes. I'll stick with brands that don't, and from what I see on the beaches, so do most other people.
This I thought was kind of relevant and interesting. Saw it pop up on Instagram.
Basically an adapter for Starboard fuses to Taaroa tails and front wings. If those are more modern/faster/more performant design, may be worth looking into:
www.taaroa-hydrofoil.com/fr_FR/shop/taaroa-pour-iq-foil-388#attr=215
Select to expand quoteaeroegnr said..
This I thought was kind of relevant and interesting. Saw it pop up on Instagram.
Basically an adapter for Starboard fuses to Taaroa tails and front wings. If those are more modern/faster/more performant design, may be worth looking into:
www.taaroa-hydrofoil.com/fr_FR/shop/taaroa-pour-iq-foil-388#attr=215
Daaammmnn! Out of stock now on the front wing adapter but perhaps available again soon. If I could get my hands on one I could use the Taaroa front wings (I have three and really like them) on my IQ mast and Fuse - both are better than the Taaroa equivalents. Then I wouldn't have to struggle with the IQ 900 wing which doesn't do much for me. Looks like the front adapter is held on with only two screws so it's possible that the bigger, lower-aspect Taaroa wings would just rip it apart. Don't think I'd fuss with the tail adapter since the Starboard stabilizers are pretty decent.
Edit: emailed Taaroa and they got right back to me. Front wing adapter on the way! According to them it's OK to use with any Taaroa front wing. This could be magic - the IQ Mast is lighter and stiffer and faster than the NOE Taaroa mast, and the 115+ fuse is more powerful than the Taaroa 95. Means I can wait for at least the next generation of Starboard wings and fuses in the Fall, which are likely to be much more versatile than the current Evolution stuff. The Taaroa 1050 front wing offers more lift than either the 900 or 1100 from Starboard, and the 1250 runs rings around the Starboard 1300.
Select to expand quotephoilingphil said..
Awalkspoiled, did you receive the adapter? What do you think?
Haven't received it yet and I'm cranky about it after a couple of followup emails. It's possible that they shipped it to my Florida address but I'm in Massachusetts until august. I'll post right away when and if it arrives.
Select to expand quoteAwalkspoiled said..phoilingphil said..
Awalkspoiled, did you receive the adapter? What do you think?
Haven't received it yet and I'm cranky about it after a couple of followup emails. It's possible that they shipped it to my Florida address but I'm in Massachusetts until august. I'll post right away when and if it arrives.
I'm also curious to know how this adapter looks like! From the picture, it looks like the upper screw and lower screw hold the adapter to the SB fuselage .. and the three taaroa screws in the middle hold the wing with the adapter.
Same question with other wings? the adapter must be a mold of this specific taaroa shape ... big wings that go outside this area may not fit.
Thought I'd chip in with my SLR experiences.
I've recently got hold of an SLRmk2 course race setup (880slr2/109Jumbo/180HAR/C600 90deg) to replace an iQ setup.
I've only used it a handful of times in light-ish winds but my initial impression is that more lift than the 900, probably closer to the 1000 millennium wing, but with the speed of the 900. I've not lined up with anyone to race with it yet and find out for sure but I do still have the iQ setup so need to find sometime to swap them back and forth to really work out the difference but I'm pleased with it so far.
I also have a used SLR slalom setup which I've had for a few months (560 and 460 SLR front wings, 99 mkII fuselage, 175 SLR tail), I don't use this for racing, just for seeing how fast I can go myself and so far it's been a bit more frustrating as I've not got as fast as I did on the old 650 (with 105+ and 255 thin tail). The 560 has at least as much lift as the old 650 and they feel fast, though I wonder if it's because they are a bit less stable as the GPS suggests my peaks are quite a lot slower (650 2s-28.8kt 10s-27.4kt/560 2s-28.0kt 10s-25.9kt/460 2s-25.6kt 10s-24.4kt).
I don't get a huge amount of time on the slalom setup so could well be lack of talent but I am enjoying the challenge of learning to gybe on the small wing, and it makes everything feel much easier when back on the larger wings.
Select to expand quoteAwalkspoiled said..aeroegnr said..
This I thought was kind of relevant and interesting. Saw it pop up on Instagram.
Basically an adapter for Starboard fuses to Taaroa tails and front wings. If those are more modern/faster/more performant design, may be worth looking into:
www.taaroa-hydrofoil.com/fr_FR/shop/taaroa-pour-iq-foil-388#attr=215
Daaammmnn! Out of stock now on the front wing adapter but perhaps available again soon. If I could get my hands on one I could use the Taaroa front wings (I have three and really like them) on my IQ mast and Fuse - both are better than the Taaroa equivalents. Then I wouldn't have to struggle with the IQ 900 wing which doesn't do much for me. Looks like the front adapter is held on with only two screws so it's possible that the bigger, lower-aspect Taaroa wings would just rip it apart. Don't think I'd fuss with the tail adapter since the Starboard stabilizers are pretty decent.
Edit: emailed Taaroa and they got right back to me. Front wing adapter on the way! According to them it's OK to use with any Taaroa front wing. This could be magic - the IQ Mast is lighter and stiffer and faster than the NOE Taaroa mast, and the 115+ fuse is more powerful than the Taaroa 95. Means I can wait for at least the next generation of Starboard wings and fuses in the Fall, which are likely to be much more versatile than the current Evolution stuff. The Taaroa 1050 front wing offers more lift than either the 900 or 1100 from Starboard, and the 1250 runs rings around the Starboard 1300.
Update - Paid for the adapter on May 12, got an email confirming receipt of payment and "we're preparing your order to be shipped" and then nothing. No followup, no reply to my emails or phone call - nuthin'. I'm assuming Taaroa and their Swiss agent/subsidiary/shipping service fly4all are out of business. Disappointing since I really don't like the IQ setup on my Alien and the Taaroa mast and fuse are lower performance than SB's. If anyone knows anything more about Taaroa's status I'd be glad to hear it.
