The X1 is Goya’s Freestyle range and fits between the highly successful One (freestyle wave) and FXR (freeride) ranges.

The X1 is offered in two sizes; 105 and 115 and in just one lightweight construction. This test looks at the 105 litre model.

"The X1’s target is extreme freestyle performance. This board is made for pros by pros, and as such allows you to find out that your own manoeuvre limits are above what you thought they were." – Goya website

The Goya achieved a Silver Quality rating with the following scores:

The MFC straps supplied with the board are the same as the ones we have had problems with on other Goya and Quatro boards this year. They are just too stiff for our liking and pretty unpleasant in bare feet. Luckily the pads are much better and offer a good amount of cushioning and grip.

105

238

65

42.5

24

On the water, the Goya feels like the biggest board in the group, which is reflected by the measurements.

At 65cm wide it is the widest of the boards tested and also boasts the largest tail width of 42.5cm (measured 30cm from the tail).

The Goya is the second longest board (to the JP) at 238cm and the heaviest at 6.48kg, although this could be partially down to it having the highest quoted volume of 105 litres.

This test has a group of boards (Goya, Fanatic, Mistral and Starboard), which are basically inseparable for performance within this category. They all have subtle differences to the way they work, but the success rate of moves will be pretty much the same on all of these boards. They are all very good, but not quite as easy as the RRD and JP.

The Goya feels big and stable in the slide, but not quite as slippery as some of the other boards. It spins at a controllable rate and pops reasonably well considering its size.

For advanced moves such as shakas, ponches and double moves, the Goya feels a little too big and cumbersome and not quite as slidy as the other boards. Its perfectly capable of making these big moves, but some of the other boards will offer a higher success rate.

The Goya feels like it means business when you bank it into a turn. It grips well and initiates the turn nicely, but that’s where you reach the limit. It’s a bit of a strange sensation actually. You start off the turn expecting big things, but then the board seems to lock up and just doesn’t want to turn any tighter. For carving gybes, this isn’t a problem, but for a bit of light wind wave riding or tight 360s etc, you will be wishing for a little more turning performance. There is no doubt that the size of the board inhibits it a little and its arguable that what is lost in agility is compensated for by holding good speed through a carve.

This is the Goya’s forte. The nice high nose makes it feel as if the board will ride over everything in its way. It has good speed and jumps well, making it a great coastal blast and jump board for lighter winds/ bigger sailors.

In a straight line, there is more than a passing resemblance to the lovely FXR that we tested last year. The X1 possesses the same controlled, comfortable blasting qualities that would make it the board of choice for rougher/coastal conditions.

The Goya is probably best defined as a Freeride/Freestyle board, which is particularly suited to coastal sailing. It has enough freestyle potential to hold its own against most of the boards here, but excels in a straight line and choppier, rougher conditions.

It’s a little bit of a shame that the board isn’t 5-10 litres smaller as its large size does make it more orientated towards heavier riders in the conditions it works best for.

The standard 24cm MFC fin is suited to the Freeride/Freestyle nature of this board. Carving performance can be improved slightly by using a more raked back design, but that’s not really what this board is aimed it.

Goya recommend sails of ‘7.0m and smaller’. We see no problem using a 7.0m on the board (although doubt many people will be doing freestyle with this) and would expect to go down to around 5.0m and 4.7m if conditions are flat.

The mast track seemed to work best about 1cm behind middle for most sizes of sail (about 131 on the Goya track scale).

Think of the X1 as a freeride / freestyle board ideally suited to the coast or choppier conditions. As a progression from a freeride board to freestyle it works extremely well and would suit most weights of rider. If your focus is more towards pure freestyle, then it is better suited to heavier riders (over 75kg) as it is quite a big board.