The marketing of the Syncro has much more to do with the freemove attributes of gybing and agility, even claiming freestyle and waveriding possibilities. Speed and control is also part of the mix and probably more important in this the largest of the three models.

Type: All-round freeride.

On the water:

A classic freeride shape with a relatively narrow tail, the Syncro is quite conventional in feel, relatively high in volume and directional and comfortable in a straight line. It is slightly heavy in feel by comparison with most and has a very slight lag in early planing and acceleration but still gets going fairly early and easily. Although not quite as quick as the Screamer, standard freeride performance is good in all areas although we did find the nose could feel a bit flappy in chop. Gybing performance was pretty good, particularly in flat water where it holds a good line.

Fittings: Very good straps, comfortable deck and pad configuration, sensible strap position options and decent fin.

Overall:

The Syncro 104 fared extremely well in our test earlier in the season; proving fast, sleek and responsive. The 124 on test here didn’t prove quite as popular and was seen generally as more targeted at an intermediate audience (better sailors may be tempted to get the lighter Red Dot version for extra zip in marginal conditions). It is a little more manoeuvrable and responsive than the Screamer despite being 8L bigger, and will have stronger appeal to the burn-&-turn majority, but with its relatively high volume we see it appealing most strongly to heavier sailors (85-100kg) of intermediate standard. In this construction (as tested) it will also work quite well for earlier intermediates, and although not quite as easy to sail as the Screamer it probably offers a bit more fun and response as the buyer improves.