the front straps look like they are set a fair way inboard ...is this just for quads and twinnies? or are all board like this ?
I can't figure out all this small fins in front ****.
My quad surf board doesn't work like that so I can't figure why a wave board would
It seems that people are missing the point of a quad.
It's like having a massive centre fin and two small side fins and calling it a thruster. It's 3 fins but not a thruster
from what i've heard all the brands (quatro, jp, fanatic) that are using that configuration found it was a much faster setup. they tested the big fins at the front which is logical seeing that quad surfboards are setup like that but found it too slow for sailing.
I can't get my head around it. It's just a twin with some extra fins in config or that is what it seems like to me. But I haven't tried any so I don't really know.
Do they have tons of drive off the rail like surfboards????
yeah that's basically right. the jp boards are even the same shape as the twin fins just with the extra benefit of the small fins on the rails. definitely very drivey off the rail for dtl conditions.
l found it was more efficient having the bigger fins at the rear. Big fins at the front allowed an easier turn, but all the fins had to be bigger or further back to acheive good pure sailing ability.l wanted to use the smallest fins possible. This setup provided great turns and pure sailing. Surfboards are fastest when you are on the front foot, sailboards on your back foot loading up the fins when straight sailing.
The small front fins provide a more forward pivot point loosening up the turn, it initiates the turn . The rear fins provide the drive and good sailing ability. The fins are able to generate more speed by pushing off each other exactly like a surfboard in the turns. Twins and singles cannot do this , and so rely on a flatter rocker for drive.The incredible lift from 3 or 4 fins enable me to put in heaps of tail kick as the fins provide increased upwind and sailing ablity.
More rocker means tighter controlled turns. Quads and thrusters allow this with more speed generating out of the turn itself , setting you up better for the next turn. Increased tail rocker is the key to eliminating the tracking problems with quads too.
They behave as a surfboard does in the waves, with extremely efficient sailing ability.
The board shown is a 70 litre bamboo deck with the new highly polished bottom.
The Rock Maple l have always used is very strong and Durable. The Bamboo is lighter in comparison, but it also allows the resin to bleed through in the vacuum process. On the 70 litre there was a 240 grams weight saving. So far the strength and ride feel, is fantastic.
wow... 240 grams might not sound like much given how the overall weight of boards these days that's quite considerable.
Do you see Bamboo replacing regular wood in production boards from companies like Starboard or JP?
Saw the board in the flesh on the beach last Sunday
Looked the goods.
Didn't get to see it out in the waves, anyone had a crack on it ?
Kev
I have had a couple of goes on the 70 litre and 80 litre Stoney quads and I think there have the edge on the thrusters. They drive better off the turns which is their big plus. They don't appear to be any slower but they certainly point better and are quicker on the plane because of all that fin area. Will quads be the set up of the future ? Probably not in the near future. Most of our ageing windsurfers have not got their heads round how good thrusters are yet. I think the quads are more fun to ride and will improve your wave sailing.
As far as the bamboo deck goes its lighter and seems rock hard which has to be the go.
Can't wait to see some of these babies on the second hand market.
By the way I bought the 85L thruster Mark shaped for Bob and Lee in Rockingham, sweetest board I've had for Perth conditions so far. Might get saving for a smaller quad and hit some good spots with stronger wind 
