The Rio is simply about windsurfing as Jim Drake intended it to be: everyone, everywhere and everytime.

The new shapes have evolved to offer the joys of pure freeriding to all, from beginners and progressing windsurfers to families and advanced riders, everytime: whether there's wind or just a light breeze, the new Rios offer more glide in the light stuff and a smoother transition on to the plane as it gets windier.

For advanced riders, the longer, narrower shape combined with the inboard heel-recesses and more flexible daggerboard allows the board to power upwind off the leeward rail. When planing, the wide tail with large cutaways and tail side-cuts deliver a powerful and exciting ride.

For intermediate and progressing windsurfers, the security of the daggerboard gives the confidence to go out without worrying about drifting. The radical deck design with its heel gutters and inboard-only footstrap settings make it easier than ever to get into the footstraps for the first time.

For beginners, the Rios pack plenty of rail volume around the midsection for optimum stability. The longer shape with a lower rocker offers a smooth gliding sensation straight from the start.

The full EVA deck - an orginal Starboard innovation - brings total comfort. Built in Tufskin for maximum durability, a new integrated nose protector provides further protection against mast impacts.

The Rios' Clipperbox III daggerboard system comes with newly developped uni-directional back-plated lips that totally prevents any water from gushing through the daggerboard case when the daggerboard is retracted and board gets planing. For the first time, you can feel the efficiency of a non-daggerboard hull in a board with a daggerboard system.
Summary:

• The All-Wind windsurfer
• Radical new deck design makes it more exciting, more comfortable to ride inboard and easier to rail upwind. It's also easier than ever to get into the straps and get planing
• Narrower, slender shapes give more glide for beginners and more upwind railing power for advanced riders
• Extra-wide tails provide early-planing power
• New Clipperbox III
• New integrated nose protector
• Longer nose with a lower rocker gives more longitundinal stability and more glide in light winds

Suitable sail types are entry level, progressive and freeride sails.

Compared to the Start boards, the Rios have more lightwind speed and glide because they are narrower and longer. They are designed for all-wind freeriding, from lightwinds to higher winds under the feet of either beginners, progressing or advanced windsurfers. The Starts are designed purely to make windsurfi ng as easy as possible. They are more stable and feature a colour-coded deck specifcally targeted at making learning and teaching easier.