SEVERNE TURBO 8.1 2021 TEST REVIEW
THE VERDICT
The Turbo 8.1m is a joy to use, exhibiting the power of an 8.0m and the handling, ease and fun factor of a 6.0m. Rig it, sail it … don’t take yourself too seriously and have a blast!
OVERVIEW
The Turbo is Severne’s twin-cam freeride offering, sitting next to the no-cam NCX and foil-specific FoilGlide 2 in their freeride series. Said to be “suited to fast freeride, freerace and slalom boards”, it houses its two SDM cams in a medium to narrow luff-sleeve, both inducers located below the boom. Recommended for use in this size with a SDM mast, it can also be used on a RDM mast following the purchase of Severne RDM cams. The Turbo is the only sail in this test group recommended for use with a 460 cm mast – a point well worth consideration if you don’t have a 490 cm mast in your quiver, and you’re looking to reduce costs. Clean and uncomplicated in its exclusive red colourway, it sports some of the brand’s latest features such as SpiderFibre perimeter reinforcement along the length of the leech (intended to mitigate vertical stretch between panels), seamless head and foot panels and a dropped clew geometry. Rigged on a 460 cm Apex SDM mast, it does take a little practice to achieve the right downhaul tension to allow the bottom cam to pop onto the mast easily, without reverting to the traditional method of outhauling as well. Yet, with a little practice and experimentation in tension, rigging is straightforward, opening the pocket and pushing the batten down from inside the sleeve. There are no rigging guides offered, albeit the beefed-up 3 & 4 roller tack pulley makes light work of applying the tension, the Turbo’s relatively straight luff curve also playing its part. The sail’s leech falls away uniformly down to batten four as tension is applied, the Turbo’s draft adopting a moderate to deep profile, locked low and forward in the sail’s panels.
BRAND CLAIM
“Lighter and less aggressive than other cam sails, the Turbo is smooth, stable and has effortless rotation on either SDM or RDM masts.”
PERFORMANCE
Over the years, Severne’s mantra to create the lightest handling sails possible has served them well … and this Turbo is no exception. On the water, it feels at least half a metre smaller than its quoted size, with dimensions dwarfed by its peers in this category. In light marginal winds, it may not have the obvious grunt and poke of some here, but pound for pound, it generates plenty of useable energy. The centre of effort is low and forward, which, with its softer mast and focussed handling, makes the Turbo very pumpable indeed. Punching its charge to the surface of the water, it feels small and compact, and settles into a comfortable stance, incredibly balanced and light to the touch. As the wind increases, its low drive helps to pin the board to the floor and keep it trimmed intuitively without the need for much pilot intervention. Some extra tension can help to improve twist and increase efficiency in powered to overpowered conditions, the Turbo displaying its thoroughbred lineage when partnered with a fast freerace board. It’s such a well-mannered sail, showing all its virtues again through transitions – it enters with speed and control, providing the power and inspiration to press hard, before rotating quickly and easily mid-turn, the cams popping round to the new tack smoothly, whilst its forward-facing camber makes the Turbo supremely manageable throughout. At the top of its wind range, the Turbo does perhaps miss that extra ‘killer’ gear of some, but when performance comes this easy with the Turbo, we know who’s having the more enjoyable time on the water!
SEVERNE TURBO 8.1 2021 TEST REVIEW
SPECS
Size: 8.1
Luff: 491 cm
Boom: 205 cm
Battens: 6
Cams: 2 (SDM)
Ideal Mast: Severne 460 cm SDM/RDM
Available Sizes: 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.1, 8.6, 9.2.
PRICE: £735.00
THE LINE UP