Anyone sailed a BIC Nova?

I understand the Nova is a great beginner board, but what's it like for a more intermediate sailer? Seems like it could be great for my wife (advanced beginner) and kids but I don't want them to outgrow it quickly.

Also, does it plane reasonably easily with the standard fin, or does it need to be upgraded to go well?

cheers

Sailed Roger Jackson's Nova with a 6.0 sail in about 16 mph wind with his special larger centerboard fin and had a fun interesting time. (This was during his Hood River Stop.) I am pretty sure that with the stock centerboard fin or no centerboard fin this board would be fine in white cap winds. To get it to go up wind in light winds but a bigger fin in the abox centerboard position and then hang on cause this board can rock going up wind. This gave young sailors alot of confidence. It will however ride the centerboard fin if you try to get on a plane. We did two downwind rescues using this board and had no trouble getting back upwind.

I'm going to bet that 'Roger Jackson's Nova ' is REALLY a Starboard START...as Roger is sponsored by Starboard & Sailworks.

The START is however the premiere Teaching, to intermediate board. The Nova is a bit smaller but still has a lot of the features the START has...I can not comment on the NOVA as I do not have extensive experiences.

JIM

Jim,

Roger has an Exocet Cruiser that he travels with and rigs and may have had the opportunity to work with the Nova at one venue or another. He's been on the road and away from computers extensively this summer, but maybe he'll pick up the thread with an answer to the question.

Bet it's a good board though.

he has a bunch of starts, 1 nova and 1 exocet with a neat roller on the transom to roll the board back to the trailer. Check with Petra she will vouch I was in the Gorge. Personally I cannot wait till he's back on the East Coast so I can try his Carve 151.

Yup, that was Roger's Nova. He added it to the fleet in Wisconsin. Not as much volume as the Start, but a great board for smaller beginners. It needs a larger centerfin than the one it comes with to work at its best. Ellen