GOYA / QUATRO TEAM TALK: ANDY CHAMBERS / BEN PAGE / JAMES COX AND RUARAIDH SOMERVILLE
GOYA / QUATRO TEAM TALK: ANDY CHAMBERS / BEN PAGE / JAMES COX AND RUARAIDH SOMERVILLE
GOYA / QUATRO TEAM TALK: ANDY CHAMBERS / BEN PAGE / JAMES COX AND RUARAIDH SOMERVILLE
We caught up with the UK team at the Goya / Quatro demo in Tiree to talk about the latest line-up of 2026 wave boards and how they perform in real-world UK conditions. From punchy onshore sessions at Southbourne to classic down-the-line days in Cornwall and Tiree, Andy Chambers, Ben Page, James Cox and Ruaraidh Somerville break down their go-to boards, fin setups and the subtle differences that make each model shine.
WINDSURF: So, on the edge there, we’ve got the Goya thruster?
ANDY CHAMBERS: Yeah, that’s the Goya Thruster. And actually, right next to it is the Goya Quad…they’re pretty much the same outline, almost the same board. The main difference is just the fin setup on the bottom.
The thruster gives you a more surfy feel, while the quad lets you turn the board super tight and even throw the fins out a bit. It’s got a looser, more progressive feel sometimes. It really comes down to personal preference.
WINDSURF: Where would you use these two?
ANDY CHAMBERS: Honestly, you can use them both pretty much anywhere.
I tend to use the thruster when the wave doesn’t have a lot of power, because with that setup I get more drive and less drag….fewer fins means less resistance. It’s got that surfy, flowing kind of feel, so for smaller, down-the-line but not very powerful waves, it’s perfect. It’s fast and gives you a lot of drive from the single fin.
The quad, on the other hand, prefers to be a bit more powered up. With the extra fins you do get a little more drag, but not in a bad way….it actually gives you more grip and a really settled feel. You can still release the fins when you want, but it’s very balanced and predictable.
WINDSURF: So, the quad feels more versatile?
ANDY CHAMBERS: “Exactly. The quad would probably be my one-board-for-everything choice. I really like that feeling.”
WINDSURF: Is that the Marcilio Browne board?
ANDY CHAMBERS: “Yeah, that’s the one. He rides the quad…it’s my favourite too.”
WINDSURF: If it’s firing at Kimmeridge, like The Bench, which one are you taking?
ANDY CHAMBERS “The quad, definitely. The waves there have more power, so I don’t need the extra drive I’d get from the thruster setup.”
WINDSURF: And what about the Nitro?
ANDY CHAMBERS “The Nitro’s in its second generation now, but it’s been completely redesigned from the previous one. It’s super compact…it has same sort of volume, but in shorter dimensions. You can really see the difference: for example, the 88 Quad is 223 long, while the 85 Nitro is 209.
Everything about the Nitro is shifted to the back of the board. It works really well when the conditions aren’t great…like if the waves don’t have much power, the wind’s a bit onshore or there’s a lot of white-water. You’ve got more tail volume and lift under your back foot, so you get more float and speed when the waves are a bit mushy.”
Goya Windsurfing – Boards – Nitro 2 Pro Carbon
WINDSURF: So, you’d use this at Southbourne on a light day?
ANDY CHAMBERS: Yeah, exactly, I’ve used it at Avon, too. Avon’s waves aren’t that powerful, so the Nitro’s perfect there. You get more push from the tail of the board instead of relying on the wave.
It also feels a bit more freestyle-oriented because it’s shorter and compact. I can throw a lot of rotational moves, even in small waves. I’ve been really enjoying it, but it does work best in a fairly specific set of conditions.
The quad and thruster are more all-rounders that you can use in almost anything!”
Goya Windsurfing – Boards – Custom Thruster 4 Pro Carbon
OVER TO BEN PAGE TO TALK ABOUT HIS QUIVER:
BEN PAGE: “I sail a pair of Goya custom quads, 88 and 80 litres. I’m 78kg and use the 88 mostly with 5.3m and 4.7m while the 80 is best when it’s windy and I’m on 3.7 or 4.2.
Goya Windsurfing – Boards – Custom Quad 8 Pro Carbon
Wave riding is my favourite part of windsurfing and the quads are perfect for it. The rails are quite thin in the tail and you can really feel them bite into the water compared to other boards. The better the wave, the better they get. I do a fair amount of light wind wave riding in cross on wind but reasonably decent waves and the 88L is great for that. They turn really tightly so you can keep in the powerful part of the wave and maximise your speed when the sail isn’t offering much help.
I sailed the 80L in some really nice down the line conditions in Cornwall this weekend and it was incredible, carrying heaps of speed through the bottom turn and letting me turn as tightly as I wanted.
I use the quads for everything, free sailing and competing. So, I do tune them with fins depending on conditions. My favourite setups at the moment are K4 Leon rears with shark 2 fronts for onshore like Rhosneigr and in cross off I just switch the rears to K4 incinerators.
I find the Leons loosen things up in the onshore where being able to throw the tail out is useful. The incinerators have crazy grip and the harder you push, the harder these boards will turn. They’re amazing all rounders for someone who values performance in good waves the most.”
QUATRO
WINDSURF: Back to Andy, How about the Quatro boards?
ANDY CHAMERS: Quattro and Goya have a bit of overlap, but the Goya range overlaps more. The Quattro boards are more specialized…you basically get two completely different designs in the range.
WINDSURF: OK, so tell us about the Cube?
ANDY CHAMBERS “The Cube is really popular on the UK south coast. It’s got a bigger tail block, which gives you more stability under your back foot…great for going over white water. Similar concept to the Nitro, but it’s a bit more pulled-out and stretched.
It’s still compact, but slightly longer than the Nitro, so you can draw out your turns a bit more. It even works in some down-the-line conditions!”
WINDSURF: And the Pyramid?
ANDY CHAMBERS “That’s a completely different board. It’s the most radical production wave board on the market… full down-the-line design. It’s got more rocker than anything else, so you can hit the lip late, drop down the face late and it won’t nose-dive.
It’s got a small pintail and runs as a thruster setup…it is super surfy. Basically, all the Maui custom boards are based on the Pyramid design!”
WINDSURF: Over to James Cox, for his lowdown on the Quatro Cube, his go to board for Southbourne on the South Coast.
JAMES COX: “I love the Cube for numerous reasons… one is it’s ability to cut down chop. I windsurf confused, choppy and turbulent waters most frequently. The aim is always to try and mitigate that to focus on the ramps and the waves. It’s so important to be going fast and have stability when you either hit a ramp or ride a wave. It has loads of grip on take-off and has a high-top speed. The combination of both make for the best kind of jumping.
When it comes to waves, board speed and turning ability is essential. I typically use it for late bottom and top turns and down the line in very vertical waves. To my mind it handles these scenarios very well. I have long referred to everything by feeling since I don’t have the technical knowledge but I’m beginning to understand how the Cube’s shape directly affects these attributes. During the evolution of the board, I feel each iteration has become easier to tame with the latest the most user friendly. All radical but more accessible.
I also know small adjustments in fin and mast track can make the board feel dramatically different, but I have my current sweet spot that I stick with. I like a wide stance and a fairly forward track position. My board sizes are 82L and 92L. My preferred size is 82. However, I also enjoy freestyle windsurfing in summer on flat water and my 92 even works great for that.”
WINDSURF: How about you Ruaraidh, you tend to ride the Quatro Pyramid?
RUARAIDH SOMERVILLE: “I love the Quatro Pyramid for pretty much the opposite reason to why the lads love their Goya Quads and Thrusters… the Pyramid is a pretty difficult board to sail! It’s a super radical and uncompromising shape, but if you can get it into the right section of even the worst wave you can get the best possible turn out of it.
I enjoy the challenge of working extra hard to find the best section I can, because when you manage it, the reward is so high. I’m a bit weird like that – I love making my life more difficult if there is even a slim chance of a big reward! If I have come in from a session knowing I have put everything I’ve got into at least one massive turn, I’m happy. In surfing there is such a wide variety of approaches and board options that it is less about the conditions as it is the rider’s preference when it comes to picking boards – in conditions where most people will choose a mid-length or an easy going quad with lots of volume, some surfers will still ride a super sharp high performance board and grind much harder to make it work, for a bigger potential payoff. I like that approach!
Conversely, the notion of “user-friendly” can vary from board to board. The Pyramid doesn’t have the wider tail and forgiving rocker of its friendlier colleagues, but its surfy outline and smooth rails mean it cuts through chop like a hot knife through butter.
For me, even in bad waves, I find this extremely forgiving. For a board to hold a rail while being pushed to its absolute edge in chop takes a lot of magic in the shape. It allows me to push as hard as I want through substandard waves, and the sharp pin tail means when the section is closing out, I can pivot super tight into the pocket, and the board will give me as much hold as I need off the top.
The boys in Maui have done a lot of work on this iteration of the Pyramid, giving it a really good low-end planing ability which is why I felt confident to go for it as an all-rounder. I saw some of the lads in the Canaries this year on the light marginal days flying about on their Pyramids, and I figured it had to be worth a shot. I’m glad to say I wasn’t wrong when I thought it planed super quick! It’s a relief because I’m trying to push my jumping level every session, without compromising on riding waves. I also put pretty big thruster fins in it – 11cm fronts and a 17cm rear for a 75l board. I find this gives me a little extra kick in the jumping department and means I can really push it as hard as I want on the top turn to kick up as much spray as possible! I put the rear fin with the leading edge starting at the front of the back strap, so my foot is right over the fin, and the front fins about 2.5 fingers forward of the rear fin. This seems to work well! I have my straps as far apart as possible – I’m tall and always need a wide stance.
Don’t get me wrong, you’ll have to work hard to use the Pyramid in less than perfect waves. But if you’re up for the challenge, it will handle everything you can throw at it!”
WINDSURF: Back to you Andy…If you went on a trip to, say to Tiree and could only take three boards, what would you pack?
ANDY CHAMBERS “Three? That’s generous! But yeah, I’d take these three… the Quad, Nitro, and Thruster from the Goya range. I’ve actually used all three here, and depending on the beach, wind direction, and conditions, each one has been the best at some point.
For example, on a small down-the-line day at Crossapol with weak waves, the Goya Thruster was great…surfy but with more push. The Quad felt like it was digging too much into the rail there.
Then I used the Nitro at Balephuil on a windy cross-on day…pretty onshore…and it was fast, easy to fit in the pocket, great for rotations and tricks.
And I used the Quad on a lighter day at Balevullin, when the Nitro wasn’t getting me into the waves because it’s shorter. The Quad had more length and got me down the face better when the wind was light. So yeah…all three have their place!”
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