The 2014 Goya One 105 L arrived last month to replace a cracked 2009 RRD FSW LTD 105 L. I’ve been riding that, and an identical 90 L RRD board for the last three seasons. How does the Goya compare? Well, actually, it might replace both of them.
I’m 5’11”, 160 pounds and I windsurf almost exclusively on Lake Michigan and only when it’s blowing 18 knots or more. I managed about 40 sessions between my two RRD boards in 2013. (See Windsurfing Movie 12 - Year in Review) Our conditions max out at sustained winds of about 35 knots, with gusts into the low 40s. But, two-thirds of the time we get 5.4 to 6.2 weather.
The Goya is a more competent wave board than the 105 L RRD. It has a more pronounced tail rocker, the forward-most foot strap position is 10 cm closer to the mast track, the overall length is more than 10 cm shorter AND it can be set up as a thruster. All of this makes it crazy maneuverable and an amazingly fun board to ride. The double concave V bottom smooths out the ride over chop, cushions landings and provides greater structural integrity over RRD’s flat bottom design. Despite the wave bias, the board still planes as early as, if not sooner than, the 105 L RRD because of extra width and volume in the tail. About the only disadvantage of this rearward volume redistribution is the tendency for the nose to submarine if you don’t pay attention. You could say the Goya is "less forgiving," but more experience with the board makes you appreciate the trade off.
Thrusters have shorter center fins than the single fin on regular boards. If I rig a 6.2 Naish Boxer, I’ll ride the Goya with a 27 cm center fin and two 10 cm side bites. I would have to use a 34 cm fin with this sail on the 105 L RRD. Shorter fins are great for shallow launches with heavy shore break. You jump on the board and go instead of walking your gear to deeper water while getting pounded by the break.
The Goya might replace the 90 L RRD as well. The Goya is definitely fun. You can stomp on the rail and turn it on a dime. I’m not sure why it should be more maneuverable than the 90 L RRD—the Goya is carrying around an additional 15 liters of volume after all, but I’m guessing it’s not any single thing. There is the tail rocker, the forward foot strap position, the thruster fin set, and the overall compact length (3 cm shorter than the 90 L RRD). Whatever it is, it works. Earlier this week we had our semiannual 30-knot day on the Big Lake. Sustained wind was 33, +/- 5 knots with a peak recorded gust during the sesh of 43 knots. Although I would normally ride the 90 L in these conditions, I wanted to test the Goya. It did Francisco proud. I used a MauiSails 4.0 Global with a lot of downhaul and a 22 cm center fin in thruster mode. The board remained very composed on the water and in the air. So much so that if I didn’t already own the 90 L RRD, I’m not sure I would buy one. The 4.0 accounts for less than ten percent of our sessions. If the Goya can do the job reasonably well when it’s really cranking, there’s no need for a second board. Before passing final judgment, I’d like to test both head-to-head. But, I hope the Goya does well. Having just one board saves space in the car and makes it easy deciding which one to bring to the launch. Simplify : )
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