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FANATIC ULTRA BLAST – RAT EDITION 130L 2021 TEST REVIEW

22/06/2021
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FANATIC ULTRA BLAST – RAT EDITION 130L 2021 TEST REVIEW

VERDICT

One of the original compact designs in the freeride sector, the Blast has lost none of its sparkle, particularly around the corners.

THE LOWDOWN

Whilst the Blast family of boards remains unchanged in design for 2021, they very much feature in Fanatic’s fortieth anniversary makeover. Repurposed as the Fanatic ‘Ultra’ Blast, those in LTD construction are proudly decorated as the ‘Rat Edition’, in recognition of the legendary Rat 280 of yesteryear. Those of us that have been windsurfing for some time will remember the purple in the colour scheme, the retro Fanatic logo and the zany ‘rats in sunglasses’ graphics. They may be not to everyone’s taste (and in our opinion Fanatic brought back the graphics from the wrong year – their 1992 colour scheme was much more sophisticated!), but the heritage of the brand is rightly something to celebrate. Each model is also available in the brand’s more budget oriented and durable HRS construction (named simply the Blast), with every size and construction permutation fitted with a foil-ready fin-box. The fin-bolt holes have been elongated to help facilitate the fitting of all foil types, whilst the bolts supplied are not fully threaded to the head, to help reinforce them for the forces they are likely to encounter. Wide in the tail and nose, the rail outline of the 130 is decidedly parallel, its square nose narrowing to a central point, whereas the cut diamond tail is pulled in sharply behind the straps. On the underside the Blast’s bottom shape is very clean and uncomplicated, with central vee being the main feature, washed with double concave in the board’s front section. It comes complete with the quality fittings we’ve come to expect from the Fanatic label – their Premium footstraps being some of the best on the market, sitting on top of their enlarged dual density deckpads. The fin supplied is of composite construction, made by Choco fins and compliments the board very well.

BRAND CLAIM

“40 years with a Blast! We celebrate 40 years of Fanatic with the return of some of our iconic graphics on special editions of our most successful shapes – like the Ultra Blast Rat Edition.”

PERFORMANCE

On the water, the Blast continues to amaze us with its ease of use and performance range, not to mention its fluid and flowing carving ability in transition. Its design is a few seasons old now and having not been on it for a while, we thought that its age might be noticeable; that the sharp end of progression had moved on. But there’s not a hint that it is any less relevant today. Balanced underfoot at rest, it can carry large sails easily thanks to its wide shoulders and bulbous nose providing plenty of stability and practicality. Supply the power and it responds with interest, tracking forward innately and gathering speed smoothly. The straps are easy to find thanks to the Blast’s narrower planshape, meaning they’re located closer to the board’s centre line; the fittings themselves providing plenty of comfort and connection with the board. Speed comes easy on the Blast on all points of sail, requiring little concentration or commitment from the rider. It’s a great board to cover distance on, the shoulders riding clear of chop as the vee through the hull cushions the ride. It’s in carving transitions that the 130 really endears itself to you though. Responding like a board 20 litres its junior, it can be banked in hard, the rails gripping and providing fantastic feedback, allowing the rider to really feel their way through the turn and maximise their chances of exiting at full speed. We simply found ourselves gybing more frequently on the Blast, such is the addictive nature of its carve. The Blast can also be used with a foil, preferring a low to medium aspect front wing, yet coping admirably, the strap positions in the tail allowing for plenty of fine-tuning in setup.

www.fanatic.com

VITAL STATS

Volume (Quoted): 130 litres

Length: 233 cm

Width: 70 cm

1ft off: 48.2 cm

Bottom shape: Vee with double concaves throughout, the concaves progressively diminishing to the tail.

Weight (‘Naked’): 7.62 kg

Fin: CF Composite Black 42 CM (Foil Ready Box)

Sail Range (Quoted): <9.0m

Sizes Available: 100, 115, 130, 145.

Price: LTD: £1849.00 HRS: £1399.00


OTHER BOARDS IN THIS TEST:

THE LINE UP

GOYA VOLAR PRO 130

JP AUSTRALIA SUPER RIDE 124 LWT

RRD FIRESTORM 120 LTD

SEVERNE FOX 140

SIMMER MONSTER 126

STARBOARD CARVE 125 WOOD SANDWICH

TABOU FIFTY 125 TEAM


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