Video clip:
I think this is a really cool piece of video. No spectacular feats most of us can't do, but a visually interesting, unusual perspective of very fast open-ocean sailing
http://www.bayer-voile.com/fr/media/index.php?54#54
at the bottom of the page, select "Media de type video",
then "Confrontation du Trimaran Bayer avec une planche
a voile", (haute definition);

Local board review:
Nick duPont of the ACWA (Augusta-Columbia Windsurfing Association) from Columbia, SC (Lake Murray, Lake Monticello) just got a 2004 Starboard HYPERSONIC 111 (wood). Below is his thorough review of his first session on the board at the lake. Most of you know this is the most unique -- some would say, bizarre -- windsurfing board on the market. It's purpose is pure straightaway speed. Deep double concave bottom, only 218cm long (!), 77cm wide. (Nick is very experienced, from formula to shortboarding.)

"This was my first try on the Hyper: truely amazing.
In one sense, it rides just like it looks: strange; but sometimes it feels normal if you can quit looking at it !
I set the mast at 135cm from the tail, (about where I put all sails on my formula board and other race stuff), and used a Fox Watersports weed fin (made by TA) for the hydrilla. The mast could come back a bunch as the rig easily rakes down and dominates the front of the board.
However, unlike other highly rockered designs, having the mast forward never felt like it was stuffing too much bottom length/curve onto the water: it was always nicely trimming on the tail, just firmly settled. The weed fin is 15.5 inches, not as lean as the TA weed blade, but never felt like it was dragging the board; it is a small size for the width and tail width, not really railing the board; if it is slowing the board down, I can't feel it and it does not trash the trim at all, (ie. the board is happy at that speed).
When you are standing upright or hanging out the side, one thought pops up repeatedly: "I'm gonna stuff the nose!" . I only managed to do so when slogging, put it almost 2 feet under, but it easily resurfaced with some weight on my rear foot. The nose shape seems to have tons of lift but can do no harm because of the short length (or that's the impression). I made one tack and lots of jibes. Jibes are no problem at all, except for dragging the inside (leeward) footstrap, (common on race boards), and the small fin having little feel to steer. It's very easy to initiate a carve and stop it to place the board at the best angle to exit. The short lenght is a plus for turning in and staying between waves, and if you stall it, the width totally forgives all.
And, oh yes, this thing mows over chop like nothing else I've sailed, including narrow slalom boards and short wave boards. The bottom displaces it and the short length stays planted. It felt the same with both 7m and 8m sails.
In the first few minutes I hit gusts that were near max for the sail's trim settings at that moment, and there was no sense of an impending control limit from the board; I hope this means it will work well with smaller sails and higher winds.
I have some gear that has performed exactly as supposed or needed or intended on the first day, like North sails, TA fins, Mistral (Rick Naish) boards, and this is definitely another. Thanks for seeing this through!"

Nick