Starboard Lima 2021 – Review

Quite some time ago I announced to do the comparison of the Lima 2021 vs Quickblade UV88 & Quickblade Trifecta 96.

First of all I want to let you know that my first impressions got confirmed every time I went back and forth testing those premium race paddles. On the catch the Lima has some rapid pressure build-up and it’s very easy to keep control, no matter what power you put on the blade.

Easy on the catch and instant transfer of power

In the past weeks I found myself always getting a grip on the Lima when choosing my paddle, I do get the best distance per stroke and I feel totally connected from catch to exit.

Lightweight Baby …

The weight of the uncut paddle was exactly on par with the numbers you can read on the official starboard website (in this case 411g for 219,5cm) . Cut to 194cm the weight of 385g is incredibly low, while being tough enough to withstand even heavy sprints with full power.

Construction

The construction is impeccable and there are no sharp edges that’ll screw up your board. When having a closer look to the edges of the blade you can see the 3K carbon infusion rail which begs for avoiding ground contact.

I put a 3M protective layer on the edges of the blade to protect the board and paddle

Initially I had to work on the exit phase as the Lima quits pulling to far behind your feet with getting stuck. This is no longer a problem and I’d say the Lima is definitely easier to paddle correctly compared to the Quickblade UV88 , but when comparing it with the Trifecta 96 I do have mixed feelings. The Trifecta 96 has a very smooth pressure build up and lots of power during the power phase, but the aggressive hooked blade tip of the Lima serves for such a connected feel the Trifecta doesn’t provide. Guess what… there is an advantage of the Trifecta Design, due to the forgiving blade shape it’s easy to steer the board and when you missed the sweetspot at the exit it won’t punish you.

Starboard is claiming that you don’t need to worry about paddle alignment and this is totally true, period.

It sounds like I’ve found the perfect paddle for my current paddling style. Yes, it might be my go to paddle but there are two more things to consider …

Stiffness/Flex

The shaft bends a lot when putting lots of power in your stroke

Flex in the shaft is not a bad thing as a paddle feels easier on your joints and shoulders, but besides loosing some power when stored energy is not given back until you’ve finished the power phase it’s also the way a shaft flexes. While the diamond elite shaft of the newest Quickblade paddles feel very stiff, they do have some flex in the upper area next to the grip. Some paddlers do find them too stiff and I could never understand that, until I did lots of sprint training at the end of this summer. If you’re not really carefully with warming up and knowing your limits, you can easily hurt yourself while trying to snap your QB 😀

When doing longer sessions with average speeds of 8-8,5km/h I never had a feeling that there is too much flex in the Limas shaft. The opposite was true… after some kilometers upwind, the shaft felt incredibly stiff without putting to much stress on my elbows or my shoulders. I’d say for most paddlers up to 80kg the S35 shaft should be perfectly fine, if you love that firm shafts you could try the S30 shaft or look elsewhere.

To be fair I have to adress that Starboard is offering an even stiffer shaft than the S35, but when sprinting I can feel that there is still some energy stored in the shaft when releasing the blade.

So far so good, but wait a minute … I said that there are two things to consider!

“New Super Handle …”

The type of handle you are most comfortable with, depends on your personal preferences …

While I totally love the hand flattering and perfectly sized QB handle, I really can’t understand why Starboard is offering a stunning 9 (!!!) shaft options, while only offering one type of handle. The so called New Super handle is a handle which takes time getting used to. I do feel comfortable with it, but the QB Handle fits better when you’re not gripping parallel to your knuckles. While some paddlers found this handle quite okay, I doubt that Starboard will gain a large fanbase of it.

Avoid putting your hand in an ergonomically bad position!

Final Verdict

The deep concave serves for instantanous grip at the catch

Naming a 87,5sq inch blade a XL paddle feels strange, but the deep concave serves for excellent grip and direct feel some >95sq inch paddles can’t provide. If you’re searching for an extremely lightweight paddle with lots of shaft options, you’ll definitely want to have a look at this great paddle.

Once used to this paddle, it is difficult to feel comfortable with other paddles.

Paddlers below 90kg who prefer higher cadence and aren’t as fast or strong as the Hasulyos, Boothy & Co shouldn’t be shy to keep an eye on the smaller blade options Starboard provides.

Here are my subjective impressions expressed in numbers:

Starboard Lima S35 XLQB UV88QB Trifecta 96Croslake Marin 2Jantex Ypsilon soft shaft 87″ 2 piece
Ease of Catch97988
Grip at Catch98777
Grip Power Phase98887
Exit57888
Stiffness689108
Haptic79879
Weight97767
Handle5101075
Quality88879
Price32274
QB UV88 with diamond elite shaft model 2019, QB Trifecta 96 2019 round tapered shaft, Crolake Marin 2 7,5″ wide, Yantex Ypsilon Medium Minus 87sqinch soft shaft 2 piece

Coming up next: Starboard Sprint 2021

Since the Allstar 2021 is making some impressive changes and has served me well in my last race, I was still wondering which board I should ride for the next racing season.

In austria most races take place at lakes where wind and swell don’t call for an Allstar and when doing flatwater races there’s still the Starboard Sprint that got my attention.

As many of you’ll know I also own a Fanatic Strike I like to use for training sessions. For Races I’m still struggling to feel really comfortable with it as my feet do feel a bit cramped in and let’s face it… I’m too heavy for the Strike 14×21,5. It’s not possible to find the right standing position that would let the Nose slightly pierce the water while not sinking the tail too much. Last year I decided to go for the Strike because I was able to keep the balance while struggling with the Starboard Sprint 2020 14×20,75″.

While I had the opportunity to test the Allstar 2021 , Move Mike had a Sprint 2021 14×21,5 for testing purpose. At 2-3Bft we were able to take both boards for a short lap and while I was struggling a little with balancing, there was this tremendous secondary stability and lots of volume that served me well in headwind conditions. Downwind it was way more manageable than I’d thought… so maybe this would be the right choice for me?

Last year I gained some experience, paddling the Strike alongside the RS and the Allstar.

The Strike was too narrow for my paddling skills and the waterline seemed to be always a bit compromised due to my bodyweight. With the Sprint I didn’t have a feeling that the waterline was compromised, but as I didn’t felt as comfortable as like with the Allstar I decided to go for the 23,5″ Version.

At the very first ride I did some kilometers getting used to it and decided to do a short speed test at my home track.

6:38 new record at the first attempt

I tore my left finger joint capsule in a training accident four days earlier, so I had to focus paddling on the right side changing paddling side was way slower than normal.

All this didn’t ruin a new track record and I do have a feeling that there is way more in it. It was the right decision to choose a board that I feel comfortable on from the start.

I will do a more in depth review after I’m completely fine again and currently I’m trying to learn a lot about hydrostatics to get a better understanding why different board designs work for me and some don’t . What I can tell by now is that it’s the easiest board I know for doing step back turns and the waterline seems to fit perfectly for my weight. The standing area is exactly as wide as on my Allstar 2019 which is great to feel comfortable and free in my foot placement.

Compared to my other boards it’s nearly one kg heavier but it doesn’t seem to compromise it’s ability to keep a very fast pace. As always … if you want me to pay special attention to certain traits, please let me know.

Big Block , lots of volume and never ending sidewalls 😉

Starboard Allstar (2021)

Most of the time we only see slight changes in products that have been popular for several years. It’s the same with our most beloved sports discipline , as physics will always lead to compromising other strengths of proper working boarddesigns/constructions.

Last years Starboard Allstar 2020 went away from their deep monoconcave bottom design and switched to a round vee with slight double concaves to help provide enough stability. As some testers stated, the new design leads to a better glide but made the board a lot tippier than the previous models. The 2019 Model has a user friendly design, which works not only for the higher skilled paddlers and that’s not the only reason I bought it myself 😉

I was really excited what Starboard will show for the 2021 Allstar. Are they staying with the 2020 bottom design? Are the strengths of this allwater racer stay put? Is there something totally new?

Let’s have a look at this beauty:

Popping colors, darker blue tint, dugout design…

It’s a complete redesign… here we have a dugout style board, a new carbon sandwich construction, and a way narrower tail compared to the forerunner models.

Low center of gravity with the new dugout design

I can happily tell the valued properties and features, meet the requirements of the premier class, like the pigmented paint, GoPro mount, a nice and redesigned grippy deckpad, multiple handle positions and excellent workmanship.

The bottom design is mostly comparable to the 2020 design with its big belly in the middle and those double concaves, but this time… combining it with a narrower tail (-9cm) and the deep cockpit it’s as easy to paddle as the old deep concave in the well known predecessors 2019 and older.

First Impressions

I was really excited about putting it on water for the first time and I was asking myself how long it would take to get used to it. No jokes, I felt instantly felt comfortable and I’ve had zero issues focusing on paddling and putting power onto the blade.

I had a feeling I could easily cut my paddle down 3-5cm, as I’m standing exactly at water level. The drainage holes are working great when paddling, but as you’re going a little slower there’s always some water coming onto the standing area, when tilting the board left and right. Because of this, it may not be your first choice to do your winter training with. For sure there is a more reactive feeling due to the convex hull, but there is also a lot of stability due to the low standing area. Overall this sums up for a comfortable ride with lots of stability!

The nose seems to enter the water with a bit of splash like I’m used to with the 2019 Allstar. As I mentioned in the Starboard Allstar 2019 review, I’m a big fan of this nose shape. This design works great when drafting, entering swirls or hitting bigger bumps, I’m happy Starboard carried on with this great working design.

Tail … here the magic happens

The tail is way narrower than previous Allstar designs and when paddling with moderate power I could feel that it requires definitely less power to maintain a good traveling speed.

In my case I could manage to paddle my homespot time trial track with relatively low hr of 150bpm at a solid 8,5km/h, or 7:06/km at very high temperatures. When putting more power into the stroke I could reach an average speed of 9km/h which is exactly on par with my best time for the Fanatic Strike 21,5! The new bottom shape definitely has less drag, but I struggled to paddle straight compared to its 2019 predecessor. I can do 15 to 20 strokes per side with the 2019 model, but in the beginning I had to change every 10th stroke with the Allstar 2021 to get it straight, as it seems a little more difficult to steer with the rounded rails .

I did some testing with other paddlers which are more experienced than me and everyone was quite satisfied with the effortless glide the Allstar provides.

There’s really a lot to like with this board and I’ll need some more rides to compare them 1:1 with direct switching to give you a better idea how about the differences.

In terms of haptic and feeling I can tell that the 2021 Allstar is stiffer than its predecessor while not being rock hard as the Fanatic Strike 2019/2020. The restorative flex is less noticeable than before and feels just right for a paddler of my weight. Most importantly there’s no disturbing flex when pushing it whilst sprinting.

Here you find what starboard changed with their best carbon sandwich construction:

Some critical areas as the nose and the rails are benefitting from using stronger 150g/sqm biaxial carbon, but at the old construction compressive strength at the top of front area was noticeably better, maybe due to fact using 100g biax carbon and full pvc wrapping over the entire board. During a regular rece I don’t think this should make a difference as the vulnerable areas got beefed up and other areas show a lighter construction to save some weight.

How it rides in different conditions

Tracking, turning, stability, cruising and of course racing will be featured after this weekend as I’ll have the opportunity to try this board at the Weissensee Classics Race 🙂

16.08.2020 and here we go…

Weissensee Classics 2020 with the Allstar 2021 14×24,5

A wonderful landscape, great drivers and, thanks to a bridge crossing the lake, a great view for the audience made for a great experience!

The event started relatively late on Saturday at 6pm with 200m timetrials head to head with 21 competitors. I started in the last heat with two others and could manage to finish first with a time 1:05min while facing some headwind (I’ll post the official results as soon as they are here). The result was good enough to compete in the A-Finals, where the 10 fastest paddlers went for a second round. After a lousy start, which forced me to switch paddling side after only 4 strokes, I had to deal with a massive chop from the two fastest guys, but I had zero issues to keep on track. In the end I was pleased about my 6th place.

First heat…great board for a good result.

Long Distance Race 12km

I don’t really know what happened to me when packing for this event, I knew it would get warm and normally I have to hydrate my body like crazy – I forgot to take my beloved camelbak with me . I tried to figure out how to place a Gatorade under the handle in case I would need it. Half emptied and squeezed I finally found a way to secure it.

The race started on Sunday at 11:30AM and I tried to keep up a good pace while keeping my heart rate low. The race consisted of 3x4km laps and during the first two rounds it was surprisingly easy to hold a consistent good pace while keeping some reserves for the last round.

My turns were soooo bad and I really have to practice them, but after I could always do some short sprints, I finally finished 10th overall with a strong last lap. Not a drop of liquid was needed during the race. I used the QB Trifecta 96 and with the respectable glide of the Allstar it was a pleasure to paddle this track with low cadence.

What the hell was I doing? #badturning

The Allstar is such an easy ride and serves you well when drafting, dealing with chop, sidewaves and other stuff. Stability wise it was a bit of an overkill for this environment, but it was good to see that it’s possible to race against the sub 24″ fraction and get good results.

Obviously there are faster boards out there, but I’m not sure if there’s an allwater raceboard that would suit better for an average paddler like me.

Here are the results of the Weissensee Classics race:

In the 24/7 ranking (Boards wider than 24″) I could win the LD-Race and finish second in the 200m sprint.

https://www.weissensee-aktiv.com/events/austrian-sup-tour-15-16-august-2020/ergebnisse/

If you want to have a deep dive into my stats of this race, you can check out the link below 😉

Specs and more

If you want to have more specific information about this board I’ll do my best to answer your questions.

Final Verdict

This board is absolutely great in every aspect and if you’re searching for a board that can do it all with performing excepional in more challenging conditions, this is the right board for you.

There are a few circumstances where I would not recommend taking a closer look at this board. If you’re searching for a typical leaders board and you’re paddling mostly in flatwater, there is still the Sprint out there and many other good working designs. It’s also a comparable “wet ride” like the older Allstar Models as there will always be some water on the standing area, if you don’t want that… take a closer look at the Sprint, or other Dugout Boards with either a higher standing area, or a drainage valve system. *Meanwhile I got the information that there are stick on drain covers available (aftermarket), to prevent water entering the deckpad!

Compared to my Allstar 2019 you can save some energy when traveling with 70-80% of power. The lowered cockpit ensures a safe feeling without appearing claustrophobic due to its wide standing area (3cm wider than the Allstar 2019).

Besides it being a fast allwater raceboard, I had so much fun playing around with this board, and when conditions are getting messier it gets even better. There are many more boards which are working great in calm water, but very few of them which are screaming to get pushed into waves 😉