---SOLD!--- (thanks for checking)
For Sale: Roberts Formula Board - $950
Please send me an email to get more info and to arrange a purchase.
This board was built for me by Rob Mulder in late 2006, and I raced it
throughout 2007. It comes with straps, pads, and all the tuning tips
you want. Some stuff to ponder:
- Rob's construction is top notch - his boards last for a long
time, and they keep their rocker line intact. They also aren't prone to
soft decks, strap inserts pulling out, or fin boxes cracking (you
should see the amount of carbon Rob uses to build his fin boxes...) So
for a used board, it's hard to find something that will keep its use
value longer than a Roberts.
- This is a fast shape, but its performance is remarkably
accessible, and you can really tune it to fit your style. It also works
with a pretty wide range of fins - anything from R13's and R16's to the
newer, super-soft designs will work. Because the tail is a bit narrower
than the newest Starboards and F2's (by about 3-4 cm), it doesn't
require the super-powerful fins (like R19's or super-soft cut-down
Kashys) to go - it will do just fine with something a little more
readily available and less expensive (you can get lots of very fast,
gently used R13's and R16's at pretty reasonable prices). The rocker
flat is just a wee bit longer than on those super-wide-tailed F2's and
Starboards - that's why this board doesn't need the super-powerful (and
somewhat draggy) fins. That longer rocker-flat also makes it more
predictable and frankly faster in chop - the super curvy boards develop
a bit of an 'attitude problem' (meaning it's hard to control their
pitch), so unless you're really on your game all the time, or sailing
super-flat water all the time, this shape is likely to be faster for
you both upwind and down. The rocker is really a very nicely honed
compromise between upwind power and downwind ease and speed - and you
can easily tune that to your exact liking with strap positions,
mastbase position, boom height, and the kind of fin you're using.
- If you're looking for the ultimate light-air machine to use in
Florida-style racing (flat water, 12.5's, barely 8 knots), you're
better off looking for one of those super-wide, super-rockered boards
like the new F2's and Starbaords - while the board will do well with a
12.5, it isn't optimized for it the way those boards are.
If, however, you're racing anywhere on the West Coast (where racing
generally doesn't happen in less than 10 knots), or in choppy or rough
water (think SF Bay, or the channel off the Hatchery at the windward
mark in the Gorge Cup, or Squamish), then this shape will excel for you
- remarkably, it works for both heavyweights (I'm 210#; Bruce rode a
virtually identical board last year at just under 200) and lighter
sailors (there are several guys in the Gorge and BC who make this shape
work really well for themselves at weights more around 160-170#), it
just requires appropriately sized fins.
- There are four repairs on this board (none of them resulted in
water intake) - two tiny dings on the nose (visible in the top
picture), and two on the port tack rail (visible as slight differences
in the way the bottom reflects the light in the third and fourth
shots). The rail dings didn't crush the rails (they were both parking
lot mishaps), but I went the safe way and laminated some glass over
both to make sure I didn't incur a weak spot (most people would have
probably just put some fairing compound on there). I'm pretty confident
about those repairs (I raced over half a season with both of them) -
this is just in the interest of full disclosure. There also are some
minor stains on the port front footpad (see pictures).
- I can deliver the board in the greater Pac Northwest (Gorge
through BC); I'll also be going to the Bay Area in mid-April, so I
could bring the board down there. Shipping is definitely a possibility;
we'd have to check into rates, but expect anywhere from $100-200
depending on where you live.



