Cheyne Horan Star Fin

Bondi pro surfer Cheyne Horan teamed up with legendary Australian yacht designer Ben Lexcen to develop the Star Fin. Based on the design of the America's Cup-winning Australia 2 keel, Lexcen adapted the design for surfing use. Horan rode surfboards based around this fin design in the mid-‘80s, most notably winning the ’84 Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach riding a board shaped by Terry Fitzgerald and featuring the Star Fin. The fin's overall shape was based on a World War 2 Spitfire plane wing, with the two tip extensions angled at 120 degrees. The idea was that no matter how far you leaned into a turn, one element of the fin would positively engage the water flow, theoretically meaning the board wouldn't spin out. This is a mass-produced polycarbonate version of the fin, though Cheyne preferred surfing with fibreglass versions. Although the fin enjoyed some popularity for a couple of years, it ultimately disappeared from use, superseded by the superior performance of Simon Anderson’s 3-fin Thruster design.