Severne Fox

Severne have been making waves with their entry into the windsurf board market. We catch up with Severne head shaper James Hooper to get the lowdown on their new freeride board – the Fox.

- James Hooper

WS: What was the design brief and goals of the Fox?

JH: The original concept of the Fox came from Ian Fox in Victoria, Australia. He sails on Port Philip Bay where they have really short, steep chop that can be very uncomfortable to sail in. He wanted a board that could be pushed hard in these conditions and still be fast and controllable. Another part of the brief was rider comfort and overall ease of use. The board had to suit riders of all levels. The target market is people that just want an easy, comfortable board to sail and people that really want to go fast and be competitive in their chosen conditions.

WS: Vee is a big part of the Fox design. Can you explain its use in the Fox and application to freeride design?

JH: The use of pronounced Vee through the front sections of the Fox deflects the impact of slamming into chop and the backs of waves at high speed. It also helps to lift the rails clear of the water forward of the mast track to avoid tripping and getting pitched over the front. The Vee through the front sections also allows us to have a lower angle of attack on the entry rocker, which helps to lift the board onto the plane earlier for better acceleration. There is still a fairly strong Vee through the aft section of the board, which improves stability and makes gybing really smooth and responsive by increasing rocker curve on the rails through the tail.