The Syncro is in its third year of production as
Mistral’s manoeuvre-oriented wave/super-X board.
One of our favourites in this category last year, it
would be interesting to see how the 103 has been
refined for the new season, with the stated aim of
improving its wave/freestyle performance.
Possessing plenty of nose rocker it sees the
introduction of a quad-panel shaping through the
length of the hull intended to extend its carving
potential, whilst the deck has a pronounced dome
in the rear, home to Mistral’s excellent shock
absorbing deckpads.
Ride and Handling
The Syncro is undoubtedly one of the fastest in
this group onto the plane, with a low planing
threshold that sees it accelerate to a steady
cruising speed. In marginal conditions it retains
quite a large waterline along its length, its tail
sticking to the water whilst the board’s shoulders
sit high and dry from any rogue chop. Used in fully
powered conditions with a four-strap configuration
it can be lifted and released further, using the
improved feedback from the fin to find its sweet
spot and push its speed … although its trim on the
water was quite technical to master and maintain.
Similarly, in extreme conditions we often found
ourselves backing off to control the balance of the
board and keep its nose down. As such we believe
the Syncro’s strengths lie in being used in a more
manoeuvre-oriented role with a single strap set up,
where the sailor can fully appreciate the 103’s easy
responsive nature, allowing it to make light work of
any sea state in comfortably powered conditions.
Manoeuvres
The dome of the deck and thin rails in the tail help
the Syncro to prescribe a progressive carving arc,
making it an excellent tutoring platform for the
intermediate sailor. Power in assertively by
stamping hard on the tail, however, and the fin
regularly lost traction, spinning sideways and
allowing for only one, very wet, eventuality. Instead
we found you had to get well forward in the turn if
you wanted to commit with any confidence,
engaging the rails like a wave-board and taking
much of the pressure off the fin, which we believe
is largely the root of the problem. Used for
freestyle, the 103’s thin tail does require more
effort to release, yet once sliding in reverse the
Syncro displays good control and precision, aided
by the chimes in the nose.
For: Easy responsive nature for handling any
coastal environment.
Against: Fin and stability in over-powered conditions
