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Core GTS3 Lightwind 15.

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PinkNorthPride
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Core GTS3 Lightwind 15.

Postby PinkNorthPride » Wed Sep 10, 2014 10:28 am

Well I can now talk with some first hand experience of this delightful kite, not only did it out perform just about every light wind kite on offer at a recent National Watersport festival that was bereft of wind, thanks to James Longmuir and his foiling action.
Image
but it granted me a delightful late summer Sunset ride in one of the lowest and fastest negative tides we've had in a long while, thanks to a monster moon event.

So, what's it like?

For a big kite, it's fast, it turns well, points high, doesn't have the usual 'girley' light bar pressure some of these big kites have, it has the option to both lighten or strengthen that pressure, since I had it set up midway.
It was a bit of a flukey shifty evening with the wind threatening to go offshore any moment like it did the night before just as I got there and as I said with a vicious tide running downwind.
It handles the shifts well and with its low end plenty of time for a 'restroke' if you find yourself coming off the plane, which I did on the smaller board I chose initially, but once I'd upped the board size that problem ended.
So, all in all, it does what it says on the tin, a very nice kite, I love the bar and don't even mind the above bar depower, and that untwisting trick is really sweet, love that.

It's had great reviews (The GTS3) in all our mags, so if you're in the market for a light wind performer yet don't want a huge monster, give it a try. The guy in that picture (James) weighs the best part of 95 kgs in all his kit and the wind was 5-8 mph so just 5 knots.

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pmaggie
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Re: Core GTS3 Lightwind 15.

Postby pmaggie » Wed Sep 10, 2014 10:46 am

Hi Pink, did you please had the chance to test also the XR3? I own an XR2 15, I really like the GTS but a magazine test (can't remember which one frankly) stated that the XR has a better low end compared to the GTS. My XR is fantastic but you need about 10 knots to go upwind.

Thanks!

Paolo

PinkNorthPride
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Re: Core GTS3 Lightwind 15.

Postby PinkNorthPride » Wed Sep 10, 2014 11:00 am

No, on that very day, at the demo, they tried to get an XR3 17 to stay in the sky, but it didn't, wether it might have done when the wind came up a little bit to get the 15 GTS out or not I don't know, you would think bigger kite = more power, but bigger kite is also heavier. That GTS3 15 is lighter yet size for size delivers good low end and turns quicker so if you need to you can 'sine' it quickly like a smaller kite.

Last night my friend was out with me on a 2012 Turbine 17 he didn't make it upwind back to where we started and he was on a surfboard, I got way upwind and had to foot off to eventually land, I was on a twin (albeit a big one) it was a fast downwind tide maybe 3 knots.

3 times I've tried to demo an XR3LW 17 in light wind, all three times it fell from the sky because the wind was too light.

On the demo they were trying big strut less kites, none got on the water, only one, an 18 mtr North Racing kite got out and then only after failing once, coming back and fitting extra long lines.

This GTS3 15LW kite is something rather special.

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Rotule
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Re: Core GTS3 Lightwind 15.

Postby Rotule » Wed Sep 10, 2014 11:39 am

I have the GTS3LW17 and I must say that it stays in the sky in very marginal wind!

But I find the low-end better on the XR,
since i am planning buying an Hydrofoil, there is no need for more Low-end thant the GTS, I prefer the 3 strut design.

I also changed all my quiver (but the 6M) to GTS3.

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pmaggie
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Re: Core GTS3 Lightwind 15.

Postby pmaggie » Wed Sep 10, 2014 1:25 pm

Thank you! Maybe 3 struts are better in light wind since the kite is lighter and stays better in the air. Just wondering when the XR4 is coming, probably next year and probably 3 struts also (my opinion!)

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Rotule
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Re: Core GTS3 Lightwind 15.

Postby Rotule » Wed Sep 10, 2014 1:39 pm

pmaggie wrote:Thank you! Maybe 3 struts are better in light wind since the kite is lighter and stays better in the air. Just wondering when the XR4 is coming, probably next year and probably 3 struts also (my opinion!)
I don't think the Xr will be 3 struts since with the higher Aspect Ration that would make a lot less sense than the GTS which as a AR much lower! Perhaps Maybe just in their LW versions?

Better can be arbitrary from one person to another, some prefer the Grunt of the XR3LW some prefer the Light bar pressure and faster turning of the GTS3LW. If you ride with a twintip in light wind, IMO you should condider the XR#LW before the GTS3LW

Core release they new kites in the End of June on a 2 year basic so Xr4 Should be there in June 2015 GTS4 in June 2016 ;)

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pmaggie
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Style: Freeride
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Re: Core GTS3 Lightwind 15.

Postby pmaggie » Wed Sep 10, 2014 2:26 pm

I think I'm going to enjoy my XR2 for the moment! If I will have a chance, I'm going to try a GTS3 for sure, any size, just to understand the difference between the two kites.

flipper231
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Re: Core GTS3 Lightwind 15.

Postby flipper231 » Mon Sep 15, 2014 2:19 pm

Well this is all very strange, I tought the XR3 flew in pretty marginal conditions. I had the 15m and 11 ans the 15m had the range of the Zephyr but faster. It was climbing upwind easier than the fat lady, more fun than the edge 15 but not as racy. Not a bad idea to stick to your XE2: better (much better) relaunch and lower bar pressure.

GTS3: mayby the 15 on a foil but the 17m on.tt pulls like hum... Let's be nice a 14m but my friend was on his rally 12m and got going at pretty much the same time. Then I lost the 17m for the rest of the day but the guy who rode it said it was a great 12m. Mind you he cranked good jumps and enjoyed himself a lot but we were in 12 and 14's and our girlfriend (5'9, 135lbs, not a shrimp), was on her 10m. So what is the point? Mind you rotule rides surfs so a hard pulling kite would pull him off his board.

Our friend who rides foils is often on 12m while we are on 17's so I can believe the excitation... But if you want to use a normal TT (41cm wide), don't expect that 17m to help you much below 12knots... It has qualities: fast turning, modulable radius, flies in very litlle wind, light bar pressure, pretty constant power in 12+. Below 12, it is mushy...


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