Clones:

Thanks as always for testing and giving Honest opinion!

From what I can read, the new 2011 Severne S1 was not your favorite sail in the recent test. Lack of tunability, back handed, poor top end....a specialist's sail. That is what I thought I read.

I have to tell you, through a lot of trial and error, I am finally in love with my sails. A quiver of 2009 Severne S1s. Light, balanced, and fun. I am a big guy doing flat water freestyle and waves, so sizes 6.3-4.7m2. Mainly 6.3 and 5.3.

What changed if any (other than the obvious addition of Optix X-ply, switch to e5 from e4, and dropped clew) have evolved from 2010 and now 2011 in this sail?

Looking forward to your honest answer,

Mark

where did you read that?

Ahhh - i see, from the overview, right??

Well, I am happy to be wrong, but what I read was on the digital version of Boards.

Again, I like for you guys to call it straight.

That said, I want to know what has changed in it's performance/feel since 2009. It was reviewed by Boardseeker and I felt given a fair/accurate review (although I have no clue why it was with the "power sails", I think that should have been the Blade IMHO).

I have a set of 2011 s1's,

I agree its a specialist sail, certainly not traditional in feel. I would not say its changed a great deal in feel from last years sail. It does take some work to get the best out of it. I have always worked of one down haul setting and done the rest with out haul. No different for me with this years sails.

Back handy, power is from the back hand, and always has been.

Poor top end, defiantly not. They cant of found that, impossible

Lack of tunability, No way. Maybe it has a bit less than the Blade for example, but the unique thing about the S 1 has always been the hi skin tension witch has always made a very balanced sail. I think its safe to say they are just a little different to set up and use than traditional sail.

Lets see what the test actually says!!

Hunty--- Great to hear your feedback.

Did you sail the '09 S-1? Similar?

Can you get the mag (inc the latest test) as a download if youre NOT using a ipad/iphone...ie a digi mag to view on a laptop?

You wont be disappointed if you like the 09's!

Freaking love the '09s!! I bought a whole quiver (4 sails). I use one of my sails 75% of the time, and I need to be prepared if and when it goes...currently it is holding up well. Just making sure 2011 is not a big departure from '09. Review made me question it.

great sails, take some tuning, had a few fail in marginal conditions which is not good, if bens gonna charge top dollar for a wave sail, it has to at least" survive", in proper waves, but catch 22, super neutral wave sail, light in the hands, super low end power, so for wave,s ideal, (if that switch on/off, is what your after, in cross off), a couple of guys in cornwall use em well in the big stuff, all the time, no probs!, for me maybe a bit more build quality would be great!,

where was it that the sails were failing? I've been using the S1's for over 2 years now and never heard or seen any evidence of this. The upper e5 material is considerably stronger than x-ply used on most other sails. I'm guessing you could jump through the window panel as this is pure monofilm for visibility?

Will be getting my 2011's soon so will let you know what they are like, although I saw them last weekend at NWF and there arent any major changes in design from the 10/09 versions so its unlikely there are big differences in overall feel.

Al

Surprised to hear that some people are having durability issues. Got some 09's and they have been brilliant. Hope to get some 11's soon.

One of the main reasons I use Severnes is because of Ben Severnes attitude. He makes sails so that he can use them himself (especially the S1) and when you see the harsh environment of Western Australia and the drilling the sails get in the water and on the land you can understand how well the sails are made. I also think that Severne does not compromise quality to save money as some of the volume brands may.

Of all the sails I have had the Severnes are the strongest and lightest and wear the best. They also stretch the least.

The 010 and 011 S1's have reduced amount of perimeter seams and vision panel area to improve the strength characteristics too.

How have the sails failed? Be interesting to see the test too...

also very happy with the S-1 '09 performance -
best sail i ever had!!

had two issues, though!

1) was is choppy cross-sea in front of a beach wall
and in no speed fell very slightly on the 5.3 sails bottom:
ripped the upper sail window over the whole length -
was shocked and worried after that!

2) had a classical catapult in slow speeds, but with
an unexpected hard hitting gust:
my body accellerated held by the harness lines
and my shoulder ripped the 5.0s colored x-ply over
the sail window.

the latter was my fault and any sail would have
suffered from my shoulders detonation,
but the former ripping of the sail window
got me puzzled!

both professional repairs were 70.- Eur

for 2010 i'm not sure between the S-1 and the blade,
since the latter got lighter and good reviews.
also x-ply for the window, what could help
to recover from my shock with the 5.3..

aloha,
chris

I think the comment about the '11 S-1 being a 'niche' sail is misleading. I have a full quiver of the 08/09 and LOVE them - but they do have a narrow natural wind range but they work so sweet in it - being so light and reasonably powerful but also 'flicky' and on/off. I agree that at their top end they start to lose shape and the leech starts to billow lower down. They are simple to rig but also quite sensitive as they need just enough downhaul to twist off the top two panels and a touch of positive outhaul. I don't reckon the '08/09 sails are so very 'back handie' though. Is this a change in the later sails?

My only criticism is the foot area is easy to puncture and I've had two sails repaired there. I think the foot has been beefed up a bit in the '11 sails?

The 2011 S-1's look the bomb and sound like an awesome sail!

I've used the S1's for a few years, having had a full set from '07 (4.2, 4.7, 5.3 and 5.7) a 5.9 from '09 and a full set from '10 (4.2, 4.7, 5.3 and 5.9), and hopefully soon a set of '11s. Used Gators in-between...

I've hammered mine usage wise (apart from this last year as theres been no wind) and have had no issues with weak areas/punctures etc. Guess you can get unlucky, but from my experience this is not exclusive to any one brand. I've broken a couple of boards in this time, too. I still see the '07s kicking about and they're still going strong.

I absolutely love them and wouldn't change them for anything. It is pretty much an experimental sail, a no-holds barred 'this is what we'll do and budget doesn't really matter' kind of deal. The costs of the e4/e5 material used in the head is astronomical, but does makes the sail incredibly light. For wave sailing, and I'm talking really surfing a wave, they are simply sublime. The are so light (check the weights on the test) you just forget about them, and this obviously assists in being able to manoeuvre the sail. When combined with the on/off-ness of the sail, well, you get the picture.

If you're sailing purely onshore, you're better off with something like the Blade or the Gator that's going to help you punch your way out. My experience of rigging them and tuning them is it's pretty much mainly off the outhaul like Hunty says, and when it does get over powered, it will take extra downhaul. It may not be as refined as a 'power wave' sail in this, but it does take it and deal with it. I know, 2 years of usage has told me that.

One other thing these sails do extremely well is freestyle. I'm not an expert, but can do a bit and the manoeuvrability of the sail during transitions is off the scale. The 5.9 is actually enjoyable in this aspect.

Love em!

also don't fin them ('09) backhanded -
the '08 versions had the coe more back, though.

the natural range of my '09 5.0 is incredible -
it's very effective at low end and therefore
the biggest sail i use (83l fast waveboard,
planing at 4bft/25km wind, me 80kg).
don't care about the slight leech flatter in stronger
winds and overpowered in 6bft no problem!
then i would change down to the 4.3 which is
very stable even in 8bft gusts! (400 redline mast)

hope the '11 version didn't loose in upper range
like the boardseeker overview suggests..

i use em all the time down in "the sw cornwall massive!", in all sorts of size, ive not had much issue with em at all, the window is mono film, and yes a bit more beef around the clew area wouldnt go a miss, apparently?, (not a sailmaker or have any knowledge in the stuff), someone told me x ply was lighter than mono film, if so lets have it in the window panel.
They are blindin for cross off stuff, light, on off, but enough "on" , to pull you over the front for the full front foot, mac daddy bottom turn.
As i ve said ive had em for a while and was suprised how much range they have if you get you tuning act together, went out on 5.0, when at best it was 4.5,( left the small sails at home, its summer) and thought i was gonna get blown out the water, had a killer 40mins before tide got too high and blew it.
Gonna get some new ones, if i ever get some prices, (you know who you r, .
dunno if theyre( Nieche), or however you spell it!, as a generall description id say neutral wave sail, enough?.

Hi Adrian and Clones,

Thanks for an informative wave sail test.
In the test you stated in the "overview" for the N.P.Combat and the Simmer Icon that you used a Gaastra RDM 100% -
is this an error or is it correct?

Also, anyone out there using a Severne S1 with a Gaastra RDM 75% - I have heard that the gaastra and severne masts
are the same bend curve and stiffness.I ask as I would like to change to Severne S1 as my Gaastra manic HD are way too
heavy in comparison.


Thanks again

Robby

I use my '09s with a Gaastra RDM 100 430cm and I think it is a good fit.

A friend of mine used S1s with gaastra 100% rdms and was very satisfied with that match as gaastra masts are very light. He also said that the whole set feels very light and responsive.

I have to say that I dind't sail much on that set however S1 rigged on that mast felt very light in hands.

Hi Guys, sorry for the delay in coming back to you on this one...

The report says it as we found it really. The S1 just didnt have quite the top end to match some of the other sails in test ie you needed to change down earlier. When we assess top end in a wave sail, we are looking for a sail that still feels fun and easy to use when overpowered. The nature of the S1 this year, means that it holds its power a little more on the back hand than some of the other sails.

With regard to comparing it to the 2009 model, its hard for us to comment as 1. It was some time ago and 2. It was a different size (5.3m last time). However we don't remember it holding power quite as much at the top end. We do remember that the leech had a little bit of flutter on the older model when over powered, which seems to have been eliminated on the 2011 model.

International do seem a little perplexed that we didnt find the top end to be better on the S1. We did our best to try all the sails through a wide range of settings and spent some time tuning the S1 to try and get a lighter back hand feel when over powered. However its still possible that there is a very specific setting on the S1 that we just didn't get dialed into. Whats more, this whole test was completed in Tenerife where the wind can be quite gusty and perhaps overly punishing on a sail that has a slightly smaller usable wind band.

Overall, the S1 was incredibly light and was a very likable sail in its wind range. We just found that we had to change down quicker than on most of the other sails....