Severne turbo GT 8.6m

got a turbo with one cam above and one below, wonder what the rationale for changing cam positions...maybe this one feels lighter as this is the direction servene is heading with Turbo but what's the compromise

I have had the opportunity to try TurboGTs in sizes 7.0, 7.5, 8.1, and 8.6 in a variety of wind strengths, so I thought I would add my thoughts to this thread. It’s a bit of a ramble, but hopefully there is some useful info for anyone that is interested.

Background:

I am lightweight (in both physical aspects (70kg) and, some would argue, ability!) and short. I tend to use sizes 7 and up in fairly light wind, so I don’t need the super locked in feel of 3 or 4 cam sails in those conditions, but early planning and being comfortable are higher priorities. Hence my look to move from the 2012 Overdrives with the big luff pocket and very locked in shape (not that they are a bad sail, just that with my lightweight I don’t get the best out of them in the conditions that I tend to use them). For my smaller sails I run a 6.2 Overdrive and 5.7 and 5.2 Firewings (all 3 cam sails rigged on RDMs). I have also tried out an older Turbo and an NCX.

I generally rig Severne sails on RDM flex top masts. I find that flex top masts work well for me in Severne sails as the power is kept low and the top/leech opens up early. I have done this since using early Code Reds and then through a succession of Overdrive vintages (2008, 2010, 2012). Every time I try a recommended mast I find the power sets too high for me. SDMs give a more locked in feel; better for top end but less springiness and can have tighter cam rotation.

Getting to the TurboGT: What has impressed me the most is the huge wind range, and the light and easy handling. I have weighed the 7.0 at 4.44kg and 8.1 at 4.94kg. The 7.0 is lighter than my 6.2 Overdrive (and the Overdrive feels light).

There is lots of tuning range with the out haul. You can bag it out to get lots of power (I’ve tried about 10cm less than spec), or take the outhaul up to spec and flatten it out for more control. When I get around to it I will set up my adjustable outhaul, as I reckon these sails would really benefit from it.

Having the two cams below the boom helps lock the power down low, whilst the rest of the sail behaves more like an NCX (no cam) – the sails still keeps the shape locked in above the cams, but you can depower controllably by sheeting out (a bit like a wave sail – it “luffs”). The contrast is with a fully cammed (or 3 cam) if you sheet out in an overpowered situation you actually depower the board and things can get out of shape quickly (I would depower a fully cammed sail by sheeting in).

My first session on the 7.0 was gusty ranging from almost becalmed to overpowered, so a good test. Others were out on 6-6.5 race sails, but the 7.0 GT handled it well. One stand out for me was how little fatigue I had at the end of the session – my impression afterwards was that it is forgiving and comfortable. Had 31knots on the dial of the GPS (which is about as fast as I go with such a big sail), so was pretty happy with that. Another benefit from the “comfort” that I am finding is that I can sail for much longer, leading to better GPSTC hours and total kms. The 7.0 rigs on a 430 mast (either RDM or SDM). Board used with the 7.0 was an RRD XFire 102.

I would generally sail the 8.1 in very light wind. Most of my first session was non planning, with the sail’s lightweight being a real bonus, (felt like a 6m wave sail in handling). The small gusts that did come along got me planning on a 130 litre freemove. Pumping on to the plane was helped by the loose leach. The 8.1 rigs on a 460 mast (either RDM or SDM). I have subsequently used the 8.1 in stronger wind, and it is also working well with more downhaul to lock in stability and get the top of the sail opening up even more (helping control). I have also found that the cam spacers can be used to good effect to push a bit more shape down low. Some more tuning for me to play around with there. Another bonus is being able to use the 8.1 on my 102 XFire with small fins (Vector Delta 27 and Vector Rockit 32).

I have also tried a preproduction 7.5 and 8.6.

Turbo GT compared to the older Turbo: Many aspects are very similar. To further compare with the older Overdrives (with the narrow luff pocket), there is a similarity between all (and I would guess that they are all part of the same evolutionary branch – with the later “racier” Overdrives getting much stronger genetic input from the Reflex whilst the Turbo more closely followed the original genes). The GT feels lighter than the Turbo, and I prefer the locked in shape below the boom (provided by the cam position) – remember I am short!

Compared to NCX: Not a lot between them when the sails are powered up. The GT has a bit more initial power in really light wind (eg going from lull to small gust) due to the cams providing initial shape. Once “inflated” the NCX still holds its shape into the next lull and therefore has similar “glide” to the GT. The cam rotation on the GT is so easy that it is a non-issue. I haven’t sailed the NCX overpowered so don’t know if the GT cams give more control in those conditions.

Compared to 2012 Overdrive: Overdrive has much more locked in power (as you would expect). The Overdrive is heavier, so for me in really light wind I notice the difference in dead weight. Cam rotation of the overdrive is much better when fully powered up, so when I use them underpowered they are not at their optimum. The GT cam rotation is so good that you barely notice it, even with no wind. Just get a reassuring “thwack”. The GT is much easier to water start. No big luff pocket to fill with water, and sail rotates by itself to the correct tack – no “cam flick” required while trying to get the sail airborne. When overpowered, the GT is easier to depower with “lazy” technique (sheeting out). A different pumping technique is required for me to get planing in light wind. The GT responds well to “flicking the leach”, whereas the Overdrive is more of a “scoop the power”. One minor quibble with the GT is that there is no tack strap.

So to sum up, I reckon that the Turbo GTs suit me pretty well for my lightwind sails, without significant compromises.

Hope that wasn't too much detail!
Cheers, Rindwider

Hi
I m looking for a 9.2 gt on a 130 firemove (I weight 84 kg). Did someone want to give us more feedback after a few month of use?

in North American one and only windsurf magazine WindSurfing Now "2017 gear guide" ...

Severne says ...
cambers all positioned under the boom ..."This locks in the shape a lot lower on the sail and makes it easy to control. Having all the depth in the bottom of the sail makes a huge difference in how light the sail feels, and really makes bigger sizes more accessible for a lot of people. It's a much lighter feeling sail than a no-cam design, and has the advantage of not deflating in the lulls, which keeps you planing a lot longer. We also developed some new cams for this sail, so rotation is incredibly easy and not noticeably different from a no-cam sail."

some people have echoed those comments here
for me Severne was a hard top sail and am surprised people use soft top RDM masts ...
and as someone said - if "not noticeably different from no-cam" then why bother ??

Just rigged my 7.5m and it rotates great and is superlight!
Even with an iffy shoulder with this light kit I think I'll get out and try some sailing in 10-15kts chop..
I could have given it a bit more downhaul ( to make it pully to pully) but it looked enough to me? I'll also put less outhaul on than this when I use it..
Pardon the grass or lack of..We haven't had any decent rain in months..

I've only had it in 8-13kts on a RS4 ( 11ltres) in chop so I was underpowered most of the time and only caught a few gusts. I suspect it won't have the grunt lowdown or off the wind performance of the 7.8m OD..I was a little disappointed that I didn't get planing earlier but I was comparing it to the OD which was 3 cam and .03m larger plus I was using a pointer fin ( I was using a weedy this sail). I'm also not as fit as I was before so I was being very passive and not bearing off and trying to get going..
It was very mogully at times with large cruiser wakes and the combo handled that great ( easier to balance subplaning with the lighter sail ). I only dropped it once after a gybe and it was easy to uphaul.
So I haven't had a powered up session yet but as expected I've sacrificed a little performance and early planing ( 7.5m 2 cam rather than 7.8m 3 cam) for lightness and ease of use.
I'm looking forward to a lovely 12-16kts NE to see how it goes..
I did get going a few times..20kts top speed and c 7kts for the hr..The sail looks great on the water..

Sue, I think once you get the rigging sorted you should find more low end than an OD. I had an 8.6m OD and replaced it with an 8.6m Turbo and was very happy I did. I found the Turbo better suited for light winds and early planing - lightweight, easy to pump, wide tuning range. OD had better control and handling when used in higher winds. Don't be afraid to play with downhaul a little - I use about 2cm range. I also found across the Turbo range (I had 4 sizes) that rigging specs were inconsistent. My 6.5m was several cms off spec (confirmed by Ben S himself), my 8.6m was spot on. Enjoy!

I recently got an hr pb for location and the year using this combo. I rarely did planing gybes with the 7.8m Overdrive as it was too heavy and cumbersome for my size and I had to be really fit and strong. I did many planing gybes in this session with the turbo and that's with me still having a shoulder issue in the background..
So light and user friendly!

Great little clip Sue, love the music too