This time the Waterwind staff really did it big and, for this test, let me have the "Ferrari" of the 4 battens wave sails: I'm talking about the Severne S1 pro 2019.

Windsurf, sail test: Severne S1 Pro 2019

The tested model measures 4.8 square meters, you rig it with a 4 meter mast, with 2 cms of extension, and 164 cms of boom.

The "pro" version adopts the now proven "hyperspider" technology, which makes it probability the lightest sail on the market (while maintaining a certain robustness, which, in 2019 model, seems to have been increased, compared to previous years); every panel and detail is designed to handle loads and tensions, in a very uniform way, resulting in impressive stability, reactivity and ductility.

The weight is 2.6 kgs, and, actually, I think it is not easy to find a better sail on the market... On the other hand, it must be admitted, the price is certainly not the cheapest: for this model - list price - you need 1119 euros (about 1250 $), but there are some considerations that must be made, before finally abandoning the idea of taking home such a gem.

The first one is that this sail, due to its construction features, allows you to cover a much wider wind range, both high and low, allowing you to eliminate at least one size from a classic wave set, in my case (my weight is 72 kgs), the 4.8 made the 5.3 useless.

On balance, therefore, the advantage becomes double: by acting on the clew, you can give it more or less "belly" while maintaining an absolutely stable profile; therefore, you can surf with a 4.8 (in my case), while the others are in the water with 5.5 ... And that's not a bad thing....

A friend of mine, coming out of the water with his 7.5 slalom sail, jokingly, once asked me on which side you should read the size of the sail, because more than a 4.8, it looked as if I had an 8.4 ...

Even sheeted hard, it retains all its characteristics (behaviour, which I have not always found in 4 battens sails): it does not become nervous and continues to distribute the power evenly.

What can I say? This sail is really stunning. I had read somewhere that it is "addictive", and that's true! After trying it, it is hard to go back. Apart from the already mentioned lightness and the practically perfect profile, it is extremely neutral when surfing, powerful when needed, and even in jumps and rotations, it is never nervous, and always seems to satisfy the will of the surfer.

Aesthetically, it is beautiful, and everything has been studied in a very rational way to contain the weights, without unnecessary frills.

But do we want to find a flaw? Well, ... the bag! It is a bit too simple, and anonymous for a sail like that ... I would have expected something more sumptuous, but fortunately it is only an accessory, and in Severne they obviously only care about the substance ...

The photos published here were taken in the famous spot of Cabezo, in El Medano, Tenerife, Canaries, where the sail was tested properly, after the first tests done in my Ligurian homespots.

Unfortunately, an ankle injury, remedied in an over rotation during a forward, forced me to a compulsory stop after a week in Tenerife. On rest days, I still had the opportunity to meet and have a chat with the many professional riders present in El Medano, to train and for the upcoming wave PWA event, including the defending champion Victor Fernandez, and Jaeger Stone. The latter showed me and previewed the S1 Pro 2020, which will be released in October-November, and which could be the subject of an upcoming review always here on Waterwind.it.

Aloha!

Max

P.S. The editorial staff of Waterwind.it thanks Gianpiero Venè, Italian distributor of Severne and Starboard, for their kind collaboration.