Blade 5.3
Light, easy to handle and efficient.
Design
The Severne Blade turns out to be the lightest sail on the scales. It is nevertheless built entirely out of reinforced and quality materials – but often thiner than its competitors. For a sail in this category, the shape is pretty slender with, amongst other features, a relatively short boom. This year it has a new triple pulley with synthetic rollers.
On the water
Logically, the Severne quickly stands out from its contestants by how light it feels in the hands when sailing. The balance of the profile helps this lightweight feeling – with a more balanced back hand power than most of its compettitors, and the powered centered at the front of the sail, the sail has a less constant pull in your arms. It has enough power to garantee a very interesting handling / efficiency compromise though, as long as the outhaul is precisely trimmed, in order to avoid having a sail that is too flat, or,on the contrary, too deep and not very pleasant.
The Blade therefore doesn't have the power of some of the other full onshore sails to launch and go upwind, but it still has a very satisfying early planing performance. Once it gets going, the speed it reaches is very competitive.
Furthermore, the Blade stands out for its ease of handling and neutrality on the wave. Its light weight reduces the leverage during sail movements. It can be placed freely wherever needed, as quickly as needed. Its forward pull also helps using more of the rail during bottom turns for better control. It then lets itself be easily forgotten during top turns.
Verdict
The Severne Blade shows very good versatility and always is very appreciated for its light weight. It combines efficiency and easy handling, with an improved power and stability this year, without the back hand power of some of the other powerful sails.
+ Light weight, control, efficiency / easy handling compromise, versatility
- Less back hand power for the heavy ones.
Pretty good review, i'm a big fan of the Blades since i started to use them about 4 years ago, they are progressing so fast, the first time i used my 2012 5.3m i was blown away by the fact they had got even better than my last one from the year before and i loved my 2011 sail.. amazed that Severne had made it even easier to use..
I have tried a few different settings with outhaul downhaul and mast size, being a 5.3m i can run a 400 or 430m.
The sail offers a stack of tuning options, i tend to run the same mast, boom measurements on both masts, the 430 gives the sail a lot more power in the bottom end.. and the 400 will let the sail twist off a bit better in the higher range.
As far as wind range, i'm pretty heavy atm at about 94kgs and ride a 88 litre Nude board.. i can generaly get planning on my 5.3m when all the smaller guys are on there 5.3's, as soon as there is a is a small change in the wind the blade powers up like it's supercharged giving so much instant power and keeps me powering through the lulls which is
the thing i really love about these sails, if the wind does drop out they seam to just find every bit of power that can be had to get me back in..
With the top end range of the 5.3m i am still in full control right until i cant handle the power any longer.. i can get about an extra 5 or so knots of wind range just by adding 1 hole more extension to my boom, i generally always rig my sails with the same downhaul for all uses and just adjust the outhaul when i need more or less power.. with such small adjustments the blade allows me so much wind range..
With setting the sail up i just use the recomended mast length and run a little less outhaul, maybe 1 hole less, unlike the windmag review i find The blade is pretty easy to set up to make it feel good and even allows some tuning to get the most out of most conditions..
I cant give an accurate review on the handling as i love the sails and refuse to use and other sails to compare the blade too, all i can say is, it does everything you want it too without fighting you through any move.. which is exactly what you want in a sail and Severne had done it yet again...
I'm not going to say you are going to sail 100 times better with the new Blades but you will have 100% more fun then people not using them..
Here are some photo's of a fellow blade 5.3m fan from down south W.A..
Cheers P.C