2024 Starboard Sprint Zero 14 *21.5 review and comparison to 2021 Sprint

[SupSimcoe]

I have been paddling the 2021 Starboard Sprint 14 *19.75 for about 3 years now and had a chance to get a 14* 21.5 Zero Carbon a few weeks ago.

In the last few weeks I have been gaining more confidence on the board and comparing it to my 2021 Sprint. The summary below will be comparing the 2024 to my 2021 Sprint and I have a review of that board on this forum already.

Dimensions which really make a difference are as follows:  Internal Standing area quite a bit wider as its a wider board. The rails are lower by about 3 cm, at 24cm with the 2021 at over 27cm high in the standing area. The thickness below your feet on the 2021 is 12.5 cm thick and the 2024 is 9cm thick in the standing area. The deck at the front of the dugout is much lower. The tail on the 2021 is 14cm tall and the 2020 is about 10cm tall. The standing area is now only about a cm above the water line which is OK as the drains are now in the center so you do not fill the cockpit when you tip a little.

Stability: This board has about the same primary stability as the 2021. It is noticeably harder to stay level and does not instil a lot of confidence if that is what you are used to. The secondary however is much greater but it is not a linear increase like the 2021 as the rails are all slanted in so the stability is about the same all the way to the tipping point. This is more like a standard flat deck in some ways with a little more buffer. This board is great in the flat and small natural waves but boat wake from an angle from the rear can cause issue. I have had this out in very large waves upwind and downwind and its a lot of work and not as fast as the 2021.

Pitch:  The board is great in less than 1ft waves from the front and The board seems to just make small 6-9 inch waves disappear with barely moving the board up and down. Larger waves will have the front punching through but unlike the 21 there is not a lot of front volume so it will just go right into the wave and slow you down and fill the cockpit. Side waves are ok as long as they are natural but large boat wake can present issues, especially if from an angle from the rear.

Flatwater Speed: My normal fast pace on the  2021 I can get to about 6.3-6.4mph with the same effort I can get this to about 6.5-6.7mph. It needs a fast cadence as its so light that it slows quickly.

Upwinding: Again like the 2020 the 2021 is great at upwind Because of the reduced pitching I find that this board is great when going into small the wind and waves. I have had this going into 1-2  foot waves and 20-30kph winds and was still able to keep up a 5mph average. Any higher waves and its slower than the 2021.

Downwinding: Today I was able to do a good upwinder and downwinder with this board. I had 20km winds which provided 1-2 foot waves. This board accelerates with any bump very easily. The board accelerates even faster than the 2021. I have also done large waves but its not any fun and a lot of work. It is not as versatile as the 2021 but Starboard has another 2 boards for those conditions.


Sidewinds/sidechop:  This board has a lower profile and the rails all angle in so its much less affected by sidewind and the round bottom does not catch the waves. Overall its much better in these conditions than the 2021.

Boat wake: If the wake is from the front or side its manageable but from an angle from the rear when you cannot see it there can be surprise swims.

Pivot turns: I do sprints and pivots every week and have found that the board is very stable for its width. The tail has a lot of width and the board is so light that in the flat you can do a pivot turn with one paddle sweep. The board gets a lot more water in the cockpit than the 2021 as you move forward after the turn. The faster you move the more water you will have. It does drain fast but it is a pain.

Sprints: This board is fast. I have done 8.6mph sprints so far and expect I can get to 9 which is the fastest I have ever done in a SUP without a wave behind me. I am not a great sprinter so take this with a grain.

Boat wake: This is new. Normally I have a large bow wave from all my boards but this one stays with the board only a few inches away pretty well the entire length of the board. It does have a wake but its more like a short Surfski than a SUP. I also have noticed that its not as affected by shallow areas. I think that the wave under does not go as far down as a standard board and allows for less resistance in these conditions. I will be experimenting with this to see if it actually accelerates off the reflected waves in the right depths.

Stiffness: This board is stiff with no noticeable flex or bouncing. 

Overall: This is a great board and it is faster than the 2021 in the right conditions but its not for someone that needs a board that can do it all like the 2021. Also if your not on a narrow board already it will be a challenge to learn and you may be better on the wider versions. I have heard from the PRO that I bought this from that the 2023 is slightly faster but less stability. I never tried the 2022. I figured I would wait at least 2 generations of these new sailboat shapes so they can iron out some of the issues. I am 5'9" and 155lbs.