CORE COMPETENCY
Like a race car that looks fast standing still, I knew I had a performer on my hands when I first unpacked our Core for rigging. The aggressive
elliptical planform screams performance and makes the kite appear to have a higher aspect ratio than it's moderate 3.6. The next thing to catch the
eye were the very thin bridle lines with spliced and sewn loops. The kite is bridled every other cell with extensive use of D-ribs between bridle
points to hold the sail's shape. I could see that it would be a fast kite with all the care taken to reduce drag. I was not disappointed.
In light winds, the kite will leap off the ground in about 2 knots less than other all-around kites of the same size and fly a lot closer to the edge
of the window than your would expect. As fast as it is, I found it to be stable with no surprises. The Core is a great buggy engine with terrific
upwind performance. Landboarders will enjoy the same upwind performance yet find that if they swing the kite up in the window quickly there is plenty
of lift.
The Core, along with the Reactor II is a member of the "Pro-Range" of kites in the Peter Lynn line up. While all Peter Lynn products are known for
high quality construction, the Pro-Range kites are built in an entirely separate factory where the grade of materials, the craftsmanship and the
construction tolerances are all dialed way up. Look at the perfectly straight rows of double stitching and the precision matching of color panels in
the sail. There is no overbuilt construction to hold the kite back with un-needed weight, yet there is thoughtful reinforcement built in at all the
right places.
The backpack that comes with it is generously sized and well appointed. It has a small hidden external zipper compartment in the lid that is perfect
for keys and change and a larger zippered compartment on the back for accessories. It has a padded carry handle, compression straps and padded
shoulder straps with a chest strap and padded waist belt. This is one of the nicer bags we have seen.
The Core is not yet listed on the PL website but should be shortly. Stock is available for dealers.
Complete kit contains...
* High quality knapsack with 2 external zipper pockets
* Newer Peter Lynn padded, colored handles
* Pre-stretched 2-color Dyneema line set with colored, sewn loops, 25m
* Kite sail with packing strap
* Ground stake
Kite killers not included
Also Available kite-only.
These are not inexpensive kites, with the 3m going at an MSRP of $399- almost twice the price of a 3m Hornet, but the comparison is not fair when
looking beyond size. The value lies in the quality of construction and the great performance that can be applied to many disciplines. The Core 4.0
comes out to just about $19 less than the same size Blade.
I wish I had a 5m to try out against the Blade/ Twister/ Crossfire trio of the same size in my other post comparing them, just to see how it fared
there.
I did fly our Core 3m directly against a 3m Beamer IV and Hornet though. It has about the the same A/R as the Beamer (3.6 vs. 3.5) but leaps off the
ground faster in lighter wind and flies farther to the edge of the window, clearly demonstrating a higher L/D ratio. The Hornet has an A/R of 3.0,
making it easier for newbies to fly in higher gusty wind, so a direct comparison is a bit unfair. This kite is no aimed a the first time kiter but at
experienced riders that can handle and appreciate a high performance foil .
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