| DESIGN PHILOSOPHY: To design sails that are totally rider focused, that will revolutionize your perception of a modern sail?s capabilities. Our goal is to redefine the parameters of sail design, by combining the positive aspects of contemporary sails with superior handling characteristics, quicker response time, more focus on speed and control. Many contemporary sails are frustrating due to their unresponsive and dead feel; a soft, spongy sail that gives no feedback to the rider. Our focus has been on handling response and feel. SEVERNE has developed a much more responsive set of sails, that retain their control over a wide spectrum of use. Dropped into a bottom turn or initiating a high-speed gybe, power is instantaneous and smooth. Drive is locked low and forward in the sail, giving a predictable, balanced feel throughout it?s wind range. These are purist sails, designed with performance and the handling capabilities that extend their ease of use. SHAPING TECHNIQUES: At SEVERNE we take a different approach to the design of all our sails; the 3D position of each point on the entire foil is specified to sub-millimetre, so as to be less reliant on mast curve. Then all this intricate seam shaping is held in place by a complex web of internal Kevlar reinforcing. The result is a much more consistent foil shape when the mast is being loaded and unloaded in extreme conditions. This translates into wider wind ranges, and a more balanced, consistent feel at all times. MINIMALISM: Less battens. Less cams. Less weight. Less sails required to cover a given wind range. Our sails are designed with the absolute minimum number of battens and cams needed to get the job done - this gives a lighter, more efficient sail. Wider wind range has been made possible by developing new shaping techniques where the entire foil is engineered with it?s intended flying shape locked in, rather than being reliant on the mast bend. The foil will move, but each part of the sail will move within it?s intended parameters, thereby keeping the CE much more constant than traditionally designed sails. SPEED & RESPONSE: The idea is to make the ?sports car? of windsurfing sails. Superior handling, an active feel and balance that allows you to utilise the rig as your power source to use as and when desired. These foils are built for performance; engineered light so they react immediately to wind, water and rider input. They are very spontaneous sails, reactive so that instant decisions can be taken without the sail dynamics taking time to catch up. Always a priority with racing sails, the idea of speed seems to have been forgotten recently in the freeride sector - we have focused on all the standard freeride factors and then tuned the sails up for maximum speed. DURABILITY THROUGH DESIGN: We need our sails to be strong, but are not willing to compromise on weight; rather than use the traditional approach of just beefing up high load / stress areas with heavy materials, we have concentrated on balancing the skin tensions, and using high tech materials such as Kevlar and aluminium for reinforcing. Vulnerable stitching near the tack has been protected with an innovative folded patch technique. STYLING: Inspiration was drawn from influences outside of windsurfing; European sports car design, Japanese electronica, tribal tattoos. Clean, edgy graphics are built into the sail rather than just being slapped on top as an afterthought. We believe windsurfing is about bright colours: spectacular colours on the water were one of the original things that made windsurfing explode years ago. We want to bring that back and add in ultra-modern style. Bold colours are used throughout the sail line that make you stand out and be noticed. MATERIALS METALEX: An exclusive x-ply laminate with an added layer of aluminium. Increases overall strength, and UV protection. X-ply: Various styles and thicknesses from Dimension. Monofilm: high quality Japanese films, in varying thicknesses. Dura-Sleeve: sleeve specific material, high durability with good stretch and anti-wear qualities. Battens: 8mm rod, Glassform tube and 12mm square section battens are selected for each application. Dacron: 175g warp oriented Dacron by Polyant. Kevlar: lightweight reinforcing laminate, with Warp oriented fibres.
SAIL DESIGN SOFTWARE: McSail is a software program for the particular requirements of sails. It is specialized for windsurf sails in the way it allows for fine tuning of the design in almost anyway, not limited to what theory may say is correct for the sail. A sail can be tweaked at any point, material can be added, subtracted, twisted at sub millimetre levels to get the final perfect shape that that only on water testing shows up. It is a practical tool to to automate many processes and design that were once seen as the ?black art? sail makers. The ability to in a few minutes make alterations to a sail design and fully remake all the panels not only saves time but also produces better results. The most important aspect is that the final design is precisely recorded in a way that is usable for all future designs, regardless of style or layout. Now we can build a useable database resulting in ever better designs. It drives state of the art computer cutting technology ensuring that the sails are exactly what the designer's intended. |
