Severne Freek 5.2

On land: With the Freek, Severne is reviving an old acquaintance. It replaces the S-1 as the freestyle recommendation, which will be designed as a four-batten wave sail from the 2013 season. The five-batten Freek appears relatively damped and flat, partly due to a Dacron sheet in the luff. The equipment is of a very high standard, with solid X-Ply being used in the foot and top areas. The other features such as the mast protector and the folded seams, which protect against chafing, also look well thought out. The geometry, with a high clew eyelet and fork cut-out, is particularly suited to taller riders. Although the Freek works best with a medium loose leech, it has a relatively wide trim range that covers a wide area of use.

On the water: If you simply hook in and wait, the flat Severne is not one of the planing wonders, but the damped profile is easy to pump and accelerates to top speed. On the straight, the sail is already very agile in the hand and gives a foretaste of what to expect in manoeuvres. Especially in strong winds, the five-batten corset proves to be extremely stable and works for a long time in one trim. The Freek is an absolute power in manoeuvres: despite having one more batten, it is only slightly heavier than a North Idol or the NeilPryde Wizard and rotates effortlessly through all kinds of rotation tricks. In manoeuvres where you dive under the sail and expect a neutral sail without a disturbing life of its own, such as Kono, Bob, Funnell or the classic Ducktack, the Freek shines with perfect "off". Info: APM Marketing GmbH, Tel.: 08171/387080, www.severnesails.com

Mast used: Severne Red Line RDM 400 cm, IMCS 19, 1.50 kilos, 100 % carbon; price: 599 euros surf measurement: Sail weight: 3.34 kg, mast weight: 1.45 kg

Downloads:

Freestyle sails 2013 (pdf)