I dont think Bjorn uses the same masts we buy of the shelf - so doesnt say much.

2 years no questions asked replacement guarantee on masts. That's Gotta count for something.

that's funny...

sorta like saying, wow the Mercedes powered F1 car had an engine failure on the weekend... what does that mean for the reliability of my Vito.

I have heard of no more failure with Severne than any other brand, and it stands to reason that as a brand becomes more popular they sell more so instance of individual failure grows, but the overall percentage vs sales is probably the same. We love bad news stories so people hear about those individual instances.

I will say that each instance of failure I have heard of has been backed up by exceptional service via the brand.

CariS said...

There seam's to be a lot of stories on here about poor quality of Severne equipment,

It is public knowledge that we had a batch issue on Severne enigma masts - the high end 100% race mast used for Reflex / Overdrive Race sail program.
We have swapped out masts with new layups from the factory and statistically these are holding up well.

Bjorns mast may have snapped from any number of causes - travelling guys probably put most of the wear on their masts in transit - airports are very harsh on masts - or it could have been a factory issue - the fact is that right now there is no way to tell for sure.

I am not sure what someone with 3 posts is trying to do by tarring the whole range with a mast batch issue - but it looks suss.

In my right to reply i will say that in terms of materials, r and D and performance Severne are offerring a solid value proposition - which is ROCK SOLID across wave and freeride and also the fastest racing sails ever developed in Australia

- with the exception of a batch isue with 100% race masts (which is a reatively small proportion of the entire market - an important portion but relatively small - around 15%)

The Dunky failure is a very public disaster and we will try and recover as best we can - however its not the first mast to break on the PWA - but possibly the most public snappage i have seen. I am sure our competitors are watching with glee!

There have been quite a few PWA racers migrating to the Severne Reflexes as their speed is now legendary - and most of them are racing well without mast breakage

I wont go over ad nauseum my replies and the Australia national brand response to the issue as everyone here is quite familiar with them by now. And have probably consumed tons of popcorn watching me choose to reply on such a public forum

The rest of the range has been rock solid and i know we have lots of loyal and stoked customers on the wave and freeride front. I am sure Severne will continue to find ways of making these guys even more stoked.

We will do our best to recover from this publicity nightmare on the race front.

SeverneSails said...
The Dunky failure is a very public disaster and we will try and recover as best we can - however its not the first mast to break on the PWA - but possibly the most public snappage i have seen. I am sure our competitors are watching with glee!

I think you are being a bit harsh on yourself. Let's look at the facts:

- Dunkerbeck probably weights in somewhere around 100kg.
- He most likely sails with a weight vest most of the time
- He most likely sails way overpowered most of the time
- It's the end of the season. I doubt even your top sponsored rider is using brand new masts for every sail at every event.
- He would go through quite a bit of gear over time and hence statistically would have a higher chance to get a dud mast.

No production process is 100% perfect. If it were it would have to be 100% managed by machines and not humans.

I think people are making a bit much about this. If anything I thought it was quite amusing to watch.

barrycrocker said...
I wonder who is liable if equipment failure results in a serious debilitating injury to ones self or to others. The stack looked pretty nasty.

The stack was ok, but if the guy behind was closer it could've been a nasty cut from the fin!

Re; mast breakage - I've broken a few different brand masts...I've never owned a Severne mast but my point is that all masts break. Severne have already defended their position on this subject in another thread and it sounds like they're onto it.

I'd also be interested in the motive of this poster.

I wouldn't be particularly concerned especially considering there is a 2 years no questions asked replacement guarantee on masts. It sounds like they had some teething issues with a product, this happens to every company (Apple cough cough) and the issues have been resolved. Most importantly the consumer is protected.

firiebob said...

SeverneSails said...

I am not sure what someone with 3 posts is trying to do by tarring the whole range with a mast batch issue - but it looks suss.

+1

Don't scare her off, she might be single.

CariS said...

There seam's to be a lot of stories on here about poor quality of Severne equipment, here is video of another broken mast.

Fourth post is slagging off a brand... you have to wait a little while normally.

Looks like a failure around boom clamp. Would this be due to the new 'revolutionary' Severne boom head ?

Btw the quality of this video is quite amaizing, hope we get more of the event like this.

Dont think the batch issue Severne have experienced with their Enigma masts has anything to do with being a beginner. Mine snapped of its own accord not because I was sailing it as hard as Bjorn.

I also dont think defending your integrity is a right that can only excercised after a pre determined number of posts on this forum.

I do believe the issue with the enigma mast is a one off batch problem. I think Severne have addressed the problem in the best possible way for their customers and I will be happy to buy the brand again.

My mast broke above the top cam so cant be anything to do with the enigma boom i have which by the way I love.

Same thing happened while racing this last Sunday, to a friend on north gear. 100% carbon mast on first outing and race sail. Not quite as spectacular, but had to wait a while for the safety boat to arrive!

Heard plenty of mast snaps on the beach at slalom and formula events. High end race gear, is not as durable, as the next step down free race gear, or for that matter high end wave/freestyle stuff.

Not sure you can have it all. These posts are a bit confusing, as they might give an impression there was a problem with all Severne masts, when it looks like there might have been a problem with some of the high end race masts, which by definition are pushing the boundaries of what is possible as far as strength and performance are concerned.

RDM race masts offer an alternative. They are MUCH tougher down the bottom because they have a smaller diameter and a thicker wall. They can take compression or a knock or camber wear in their stride. Up the top they are just as light as the SDMs so just as reactive where it counts.

CariS said...

There seam's to be a lot of stories on here about poor quality of Severne equipment, here is video of another broken mast.

You sound like a troll to me, you know nothing about windsurfing equipment and you can't spell.

CariS said...
I'm sorry if some people aren't happy with this video but the internet is a great tool for the modern consumer, you can search for any issue's with nearly all products, it may be a TV, phone or windsurf mast. I'm not a good swimmer so my search for new equipment brought up these problems with this product. I thank Severne Sails for replying but your reply instead of being comforting to me was more about questioning my integrity so I thank you for making it easy on my choice for new gear. I wish you luck with your product problems but I will be looking for a more reliable windsurf equipment.

I'm not sure if you are new to the internet, but generally speaking there is an unwritten rule with most forums, that being a 'newbie' doesn't start posting controversial or denigratory threads and posts soon after joining. It's ill mannered and usually entails in the poster getting labeled a troll. Seabreeze (well the w/surf section) is a nice, chilled out forum and doesn't generally indulge trolls. Your behaviour is 'troll-like'. You are lacking in credibility and this explains Severne Sails response.

If you think a products reliability is questionable. that's fine, people will quite happily discuss that with you, but posting up something like:

"Severne masts are sh!t and break all the time. Discuss"

That will only earn you ridicule. Next time you want to post something that you think may be controversial, put a little bit more time and effort into your posts and you will be rewarded with courteous replies.