Severne offer 2 wave sails within their range. They have the Blade (tested earlier in the year) and the S1 (tested here). The S1 is designed to be more rigid in feel, pulls from further back and has a slightly flatter profile to the Blade.
"Through the use of new generation materials and construction we have managed to reduce weight, enhance durability and increase rig response. This translates into unbeatable ‘throw around’ factor, giving the rider the feeling of a smaller rig without the power sacrifice" – Severne website
The S1 has the shortest boom length in the test at 170cm combined with a moderate luff length of 428cm. It sets with a reasonable amount of fullness in the battens and a slightly tighter leech than most.
The S1 looks a well-built sail with some funky materials and lots of nice features such as the padded foot protector, decent pulley block (for downhauling) and PVC badge above the boom cut-out (to hold it open whilst sleeving the mast).
It has reasonable tuning versatility on outhaul and downhaul but we did find the leech prone to fluttering (between battens 3 and 4) at the top end and were unable to eliminate this through tuning.
Generally, the S1 sets with a slightly tighter leech than most of the other sails in this test and with good fullness lower down in the sail giving it quite a powerful, firm feel.
The S1 feels light in the hands, compact and powerful. It has quite a solid feel to it with a fair bit of skin tension in the sail. It has the shortest boom in the test and this is noticeable on the water, giving it a very manageable feel considering the size of sail.
It pulls from fairly far forward which helps with the light feel. This also contributes towards a respectable top end which is eventually limited by a bit of backhand pull and a slightly annoying leech flutter.
Ultimately, however this is a ‘power wave’ test and in that respect the Severn is a great performer. It has plenty of power and a light compact feel to match. Despite all this power the delivery is actually quite soft and progressive. This has the benefit of being quite forgiving but does make the power difficult to lose through manoeuvres in stronger winds.
As a manoeuvre orientated wave sail, the S1 was one of the best in this test within its comfortable wind range, although not quite as ‘throw around’ in the hands as the Goya, particularly at the top end.
The S1 is a sail that will appeal to a lot of people. Lighter riders will like the light compact feel, whilst heavier riders will be impressed with the abundance of power. The sails weakness is at the top end, where the power is hard to loose and the leech has a habit of fluttering.
Tuning flexibility
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PHOTOS BY: Simon Crowther
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