Tech-Talk #2: Torpedo, the ONE board
TORPEDO, the ONE board
Long story short
During 2023 we thought a lot about how best to enter the board market with Sabfoil, until now an almost exclusively hydrofoil brand.
Initially, we thought we would take the easy way, make an ordinary line with the usual freeride board and the usual downwind board, and so on, always average and functional whatever the customer. But then we said to ourselves:
"We are Sabfoil, we are neither ordinary nor conventional, we seek innovation and excellence."
With this new spirit and conviction, we started a beautiful collaboration with the experienced and forward-thinking Italian shaper Max Galtarossa, to find a design that could bring together all those functionalities and features sought by riders in different boards to practice different disciplines.
The result was the Torpedo line, the ONE board…a hybrid of a true downwind board and a traditional wing freeride board that takes the best of both worlds and combines them without compromises.
A first glance at the board
Before moving on to purely technical matters, we want to show you the board in its full glory and give you some feedback from experts.
First of all, below is our official YouTube trailer to give you an idea of what we are talking about:
Click here for the YouTube trailer
As you can see, the board is outstanding in many different aspects and paces, from classic freeride, to downwind, to wave thanks to its surprising maneuverability.
Its innovative shape gives you all the benefits of excellent floatability while making you feel like you're sailing on a board with far fewer liters and much shorter measurements. All this allows you to start in every low condition but grants you fabulous control even in very strong winds.
But it doesn't end there... This board has a natural pumping ability, and in its larger sizes - or if you are not a particularly heavy rider - it is also an ideal choice for SUP downwind.
Check for yourself the amazing potential of these boards: this @sabfoil Reel, featuring Gwen Le Tutour from the U.S. riding a Torpedo 100 paired with a Leviathan 1750, has reached millions of views for how unbelievable it is!
The expert's opinion
Here below is the vision of Mr. Jimmy Mazzanti, brand co-director and international sales manager for Sabfoil.
“ I was skeptical about this new board shape.
Now this hybrid of a true DW and a traditionally sized board is really a game-changer.
It allows you to start in marginal conditions while maintaining control even in winds over 30 knots.
It excels at freeriding by giving the feeling of having a much smaller board underfoot… and it is extremely maneuverable, so much that it is perfect for wave too.
In pumping it works incredibly well, and if you are not a heavyweight rider you can even SUP downwind with this board.
Our choice was not to take it to the extreme, by giving a width between 19''5 and 20''5 rather than 17”/18” but at the same time not to exaggerate it by going over 21”/22”, so as not to take away the feeling of freedom that this shape gives you.
My opinion now? Simple… if you are not a freestyler or a very beginner there is no point in buying a traditional board anymore.
Produced in series with a technology that makes it comparable to a custom one, entirely made of carbon, the Torpedo has an incredible strength-to-weight ratio. Try it and you won't use anything else! ”
The commentary speaks for itself and perfectly reflects what the board is and the choices Sabfoil has made.
You might think this is biased advertising... but we invite you to try a Torpedo as soon as possible or at least ask for feedback from those who have already put it in the water to find out that it is pure truth!
Technical insights
We finally got to the technical section. The Torpedo line includes three different sizes:
For more details on measurements, we leave you a comparison of the boards below.
Check the comparison on our website
As Mr. Mazzanti already explained, we chose to keep the width between 19.5" and 20.5" across the line to ensure excellent maneuverability and performance for anyone, without limiting its use to PRO riders only. At the same time, they are far narrower boards than a classic freeride so not ideal for novice riders, but game-changing for anyone with a season of experience behind them.
The length is between 6'1" and 6'4", which means shorter than a regular downwind board but longer than a freeride board.
The peculiarity is that with this size and the specific position of the rails, you end up with a good portion of the volume behind you, and so although it brings great advantage in floatation, once you are sailing you can forget about it, having the feeling of cruising on a 5'- 5'5" board with 15-20 less liters.
This product is a 100% Italian excellence built directly by Sabfoil with state-of-the-art technologies and materials. At the construction level, we are talking about a full-carbon board reinforced with a sandwich structure and extra carbon layers in the areas subject to maximum stress. The result is a strong board with a very good weight for its size.
As for setup and suggestions, there is not much to say here. This is a product developed and tested on Sabfoil gear, so the balance is already optimized. Our advice is to try it with the mast centered on the rails and then give it a second chance by moving it back about 3 cm to see how it goes.
Clearly, the setup also depends on the rider's style and feet position on the board, so personal adjustments both forward and backward may be necessary.
Is Torpedo your board?
Sincerely?… "Yes"
If you are not a pure freestyler and it is not your first season on the water, our opinion is that it no longer makes sense to buy a traditional Freeride or Downwind board.
As for the right volume for the rider's weight and skill, you can find our advice on our website, but, to keep it short:
Torpedo 110: if you weigh more than 90kg, or you are not particularly advanced even if it is not your first season, or if you intend to practice mainly SUP downwind
Torpedo 100: if you weigh around 80-85kg, or if you weigh more but already know how to move. It is also suitable for SUP downwind, but in this case, you must be particularly lightweight and/or particularly experienced.
Torpedo 90: If you weigh around 70-75 kg, or if you are really experienced. It is not the best choice for SUP downwind unless you are incredibly lightweight.
Conclusion
This Tech-Talk has also ended, hopefully, it was interesting.
In short, since its release, Torpedo has been a globally acclaimed game-changing product and a best seller, and we are sure that by trying it on the water you will understand the reasons for its success.
If you are interested in learning more or purchasing a Torpedo, click here to check the boards on our website, or ask your trusted retailer!
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