FANATIC STUBBY TE 88L 2016 TEST REVIEW
FANATIC STUBBY TE 88L 2016 TEST REVIEW
THE LOW DOWN
The 88 is the largest in the 2 board Stubby line-up, and comes in only the Team Edition construction, using an Innegra Carbon Light Finish lay up. It is supplied with an MFC tri-fin (TF) set up with a 19cm classic box and 2 x 12cm slot box side fins. Interestingly, the central fin supplied is much stiffer than the one supplied with the Fanatic TriWave tested elsewhere in this issue.
BRAND CLAIM
“This exciting new parallel rails concept with a super compact length surprises with speed, planing stability and ease of use. After lots of prototypes, countless hours of secret joy and just fun sailing, we’re proud to present the Stubby. Almost everything with this board is new, also the sensation it gives you. It doesn’t matter in which conditions you feel at home, if waist high cross-onshore or mast-high and side-shore: if you’re looking for something new – a package of pure fun and motivation – you have to try the Stubby!”
PERFORMANCE
The largest feeling underfoot in the group, the Stubby is stable and dependable at idle (despite being 2cm narrower than the TriWave 89), capable of carrying a 5.7m rig and making it useful for a bit of float and ride in marginal winds. That said, it also has a low planing threshold, the large tri-fin set up providing plenty of traction to push against, whilst the Stubby responds instantly to power, accelerating well and providing a fast, gunny ride. One of the board’s real trump-cards is how well it tracks upwind, seeming to be able to point higher than most, whilst maintaining its speed and drive through lulls or wind shifts. Its corky buoyancy, directional speed and high pointing ability all add up to give the Stubby a level of real world practicality that would make it a firm favourite for coastal bump-and-jump sailing as well. Despite being just 215cm in length it somehow feels conventional underfoot, maintaining its direction whilst the nose pops up effortlessly over white water on the way out through a break. It was certainly a favourite in the team for jumps and aerials. So what of its wave riding ability? Well, it certainly didn’t disappoint either. Entering a bottom turn with speed and using a classic front foot style, the parallel rails bite in to extend the waterline through the turn, providing a confident and composed nature, rather than sharp or squirrelly. You can then transfer weight onto the back foot which is positioned right over the fin, the Stubby’s short length allowing for a fast change of direction, whilst its wide thin diamond tail reduces any chance of stalling. It takes time to adjust to, and there is plenty of fine-tuning available to suit riding styles by moving the central fin, but the Stubby goes a long way to proving what this new style of wave board is all about.
THE VERDICT
Fast, stable and a true weapon at punching upwind, the Stubby marries real world practicality with a level of wave riding versatility that will flatter any style. Setting the benchmark for this new style of wave-board, it is clear that the Stubby is the final product of lots of R&D.
Other sails in this test: