The recent Defi event in Gruissan, France, saw Starboard’s X-15 Foilboard make shockwaves, with Dream Team riders Fiona Wylde and Matteo Iachino taking home wins in the Women’s Wingfoil and Men’s Windfoil categories, respectively. The X-15’s innovative design features, including its planing hull and aerodynamic shape, played a crucial role in the riders‘ success.
The X-15 Class board is a very unique design. Longer and narrower than your typical wingfoil board, I’ve been training on this board since December of last year with my focus being Wingfoil racing. For racing, I want a board that is light, easy to control, takes off quickly onto the foil and gives me leverage to control the foil in windward and leeward courses. I also want a board that doesn’t grab the water when I touch down and floats me at all times. In wingfoil racing you can’t afford to be on a sinker board.
~ Fiona Wylde, Women’s Wingfoil Winner
I’m really happy about the X-15 as it felt great in those light conditions even though I was using the 85 model and not the 89. It gets to the air super fast and once in the air it glides with no effort. I can go underpowered with a really small sail and front wing and still be fast on it. It has a lot of stability and control when the gusts hits you so you don’t move and this allows you to accelerate straight away.
~ Matteo Iachino, Men’s Windfoil Winner
Clement Colmas, who also had a strong performance, emphasized the X-15’s control and performance features ~
The X-15 board is the board that makes you feel safe at high speed and has much more advantages;
– Control: Amazing rigidity & responsiveness thanks to the TT box connection and a lot of leverage with the wide straps position helps to keep control of the foil at any speed, also the aerodynamic shape keeps you stable in strong and gusty wind even with a big volume such as 100l.
– Performance: The board has an amazing glide that let you take off such small foils without effort even in light wind, as we experienced at this year’s Defi. This aero glide & effiecient touchdown planning also helps you to stay at max speed even when you hit the water at full speed. Touch downs are also easy to control and saves you from many crashes.
The X-15 high performance racing foil board is available in both wingfoil and windfoil models
The X-15 Foilboard’s key design features, including its:
- Planing hull design for effortless take-off and control
- Ability to get foiling with even smaller front wing
- Aerodynamic shape for stability and speed
- Longer length for improved leverage and control
- Hull shape allows for super fast & stable touchdowns
- Wide footstraps position for increased control
- Solid TT box connection for added rigidity
All contributed to the riders‘ success at the Defi event. Starboard’s innovative design has once again pushed the boundaries of foilboard performance, providing athletes with the tools they need to excel in demanding conditions.
Congratulations to Fiona Wylde, Matteo Iachino, and Clement Colmas on their outstanding performances, and to the Starboard R&D Team under the leadership of Remi Vila for creating a truly exceptional racing foilboard.