Tabou Test Reports: Windsurf, UK

Rocket 95

Speed, straight-line stability and awesome carving capabilities.

 Combining straight-line composure with exceptional carving ability, the Rocket 95 remains a real test team favourite, being one of the most versatile wave/freeride crossover boards around. Highly recommended.

 

Tabou Test Reports: Windsurf, UK

Rocket 105

Plug and play ease coupled with awesome straight-line performance. With a unique stance, the Rocket 105 is a truly magical freeride thoroughbred, marrying straight-line performance with control, ease and response. It comes very highly recommended for hours of blasting enjoyment on any sea state.

Tabou Test Reports: Windsurfing Magazine, US
Rocket 105

What We Liked: “A speed stick on steroids!”, “Fun to run”, “Smoking fast!” –all exact words that came out of the test team’s mouths. The Rocket’s ready to blast no matter who’s at the helm – light or heavyweight, intermediate or expert. It didn’t disappoint in the jibes, either.
Better Than the Fleet at: Getting our freestyle-crazy expert to want to own a slalom stick!
Best Suits: Any sailor that’s looking for a speeding thrill.
Other Highlights: At 13.1 lbs, it’s the lightest board in the entire test by over a pound.

Tabou Test Reports: Windsurf, UK

Rocket 115
Awesome combination of performance and control. The Rocket 115 provides the performance and range to keep the expert rider captivated, whilst its stunning control and smoothness makes it more than applicable for an aspiring intermediate. With such universal appeal, it comes highly recommended by us.

Tabou Test Reports: Boardseeker Magazine
Rocket 125
"Tabou have really hit the nail on the head with this board. For blasting, gybing, early planing and fun, you won't find a better board on the market. Without question, the Rocket 125 is the quickest board onto the plane in the group...what impresses most however, is the ease at which it manages to get going.

It really is head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to true ‘ease of planing’...The Rocket lives up to its name. It really is a quick board, but in keeping with form so far, it’s the ease at which it goes fast that impresses...the group leader for intermediate and beginner carve gybers."

 

Rocket 145 - Windsurfing Magazine, US
What We Liked: The “magic carpet” offered a stable, invigorating ride for intermediate and advanced testers alike. One tester noted that it “floated over chop” and another left the water shouting “Tabou -- WOOHOO!” Comfortable, accessible speed for any sailor.
Better Than the Fleet at: All-around performance that’s accessible for sailors of any skill level.
Best Suits: Get-on-and-go sailors who want a fun and friendly ride that doesn’t require tuning and tweaking.
Other Highlights: Ultra-comfy Tabou foot straps, solid molded prepreg fin.

 

2009 Model Volume Length Width GT STD Box Fin Sail Size Rocket 95 95 l 237 cm 58 cm 7.3 kg 6.8 kg Power Box FR 30 4.2-6.7 Rocket 105 105 l 242 cm 61 cm 7.9 kg 7.1 kg Power Box FR 34 4.5-7.0 Rocket 115 115 l 242 cm 64 cm 8.0 kg 7.5 kg Power Box FR 38 4.7-8.0 Rocket 125 125 l 245 cm 69 cm 9.0 kg 7.8 kg Power Box FR 44 5.5-8.0 Rocket 135 135 l 245 cm 72 cm 9.4kg 7.9 kg Power Box FR 46 6.0-8.5 Rocket 145 145 l 245 cm 76 cm 10.2 kg 8.4 kg Power Box FR 48 6.0-9.8 GT (95 - 115): Glass / Wood Sandwich construction  GT (125 - 155): AST High Resistance Composite technology STD: Wood / Glass / PVC Full Sandwich construction ** Weights are given (+) PLUS OR (-) MINUS 6%, *Estimated weight
Boards by Size: 65 - 84 liters 85 - 104 liters 105 - 124 liters 125 - 144 liters 145 - 164 liters 165 - 184 liters 185 - 204 liters 205+ liters

 

Tabou Test Reports: Boardseeker Magazine
Rocket 125

 

Without question, the Rocket is the quickest board onto the plane in the group. The thing that impresses most however is the ease at which it manages to get going. It really is head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to true ‘ease of planing’.

 

You don’t need any sophisticated technique. The big fin no doubt helps, but it really is the shape of the hull that delivers the goods. There is enough volume in the tail to forgive the heavy footed. There is enough width to provide unrivalled stability. There is enough ‘bite’ in the shape to prevent you having to bear off the wind and the straps are so well positioned that you can slip into them without worry of unsettling the board.

In this department, the Rocket lives up to its name. It really is a quick board, but in keeping with form so far, it’s the ease at which it goes fast that impresses.

 

The big fin gives it more of an advantage upwind than down, and for ultimate speed performance we would recommend a smaller fin (maybe 40cm), but the board remains comfortable, predictable and well mannered, with a nice stiff feel to it.

Do the maths; high volume, biggest fin in the test and great early planing performance. You would expect the Tabou to be a bit of a wild horse when it came to control….but it isn’t.

 

In a similar way to the Fanatic, the Tabou feels like a big board, but is able to disguise the likely pitfalls quite nicely. The nose stays low (even in the biggest gusts), the board handles chop well and the ride is safe and predictable. You can’t ask much more from a board of this size.

This is a big board and as such, it’s never going to be the most exciting to gybe. It’s a competent gyber and an advanced rider will turn it with ease. There is a little bit of scope to adjust the arc of the turn mid gybe, but generally it feels stable and safe rather than nimble and exciting.

The shortcomings in advanced gybing are what makes it the group leader for intermediate and beginner carve gybers.

 

The board is extremely stable, tolerant to heavy footed technique, maintains planing exceptionally well and has great inboard footstrap positions for gybing.

 

Not only this, but when you do drop off the plane, you are on the most effective board in the group for getting back onto the plane. What more can you ask for?!

 

‘Big’ is the first impression you get when you sail this board. It definitely feels like the biggest in the group.

The chubby domed tail make your feet (back foot particularly), feel higher above the water than on any of the other boards. This gives a nice comfortable foot position but also adds to the impression of size.

 

The Rocket feels stiff, fast and exciting enough to keep pretty much everyone entertained in a straight line.

 

Rider input we scored at -1 (passive). The board tends to do a pretty good job on its own and doesn’t require a great deal of rider input to extract performance.

 

The standard 44cm fin is the biggest in the test, but does seem to suit the board well. For better performance with sub 7.0m sails, we would recommend an additional 40cm fin.

 

Tabou claim the sail range of the board to be 5.5-8.5m sails. We are confident that the board will be happy with sails of up to 9.0m, but have reservations about going down to 5.5m on it. The board felt big with our 6.2m quiver sails and we wouldn’t like to go much smaller unless on very flat water.

 

The Rocket was equally comfortable and worked well with inboard or outboard strap positions.

 

Tabou have really hit the nail on the head with this board. For blasting, gybing, early planing and fun, you won't find a better board on the market.

 

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