3-CAM FREERACE SAIL COMBINING SLALOM PERFORMANCE AND FREERIDE HANDLING!

OVERVIEW The GT3-FRC is the little sister of our competition slalom sail RaceSF. Many updates and modifications make this sail light and easy in your hands. At the same the GT3 doesn't lose its racing DNA. Fabio Canella and Patrik Diethelm gave it a more narrow mastsleeve while mainly keeping the original panels of the RaceSF. The softer mastsleeve material makes the sail more alive and a little more forgiving. Designed to work best on RDM masts, this sail will ship with a second set of cambers so it can be rigged on SDM too.

CONSTRUCTION At first sight, this sail could appear just as an "orange" version of our freeride sail. But it's not! The GT-3 FRC is the true entry to the well-known PATRIK racing department and we selected the best materials accordingly. Protected inside the sleeve there is a thick 7 MIL monofilm luff panel (same as in our pure racing 4-cam sails) which provides the best stiffness and a locked profile. Then -going towards the clew- we added a full vertical set of 5 MIL x-ply panels before the main body panels. This "stripe" helps to smooth and control the direct feeling of the cambered sails and it adds some extra resistance to this high stressed area. The main panels are a solid and thick 5 MIL clear monofilm (which provides best combo between weight and a good shape stability) and a 4 MIL orange tinted monofilm for the top part, where we maximize lightness and UV-resistance, since it's not needed to see through. For the base and leech areas we kept 5 MIL x-ply materials. A real win-win mix: it gives protection to the most exposed zone of the sail and it keeps the rear edge of the sail stable and aerodynamically clean even in hi-wind choppy conditions.

TRIM With the true DNA of a competition slalom sail, the GT3 needs the same downhaul than a modern racing sail. Use the colour prints on the batten sleeves as an indicator for the right amount of loose leech. Only with the open leech the sail will show it's full potential.

PRO TIPS: KARIN JAGGI (24x World Champion) "Sometimes the raw power of a pure competition sail is simply too much. With this sail I can have the same speed, same control but a way easier handling. The sailing is less physical and I might even be faster than on a competition slalom sail in the end. I recommend the GT3 to any rider who wants to be the fastest at the spot with a smile on his face."

PATRIK DIETHELM (Head of R&D) "Sometimes the impossible is possible. This sail is super fast with almost the same high-end control than the RaceSF but with a much easier handling. Try it for yourself and you won't believe how stable and fast it is!"

The GT3-FRC is the winner of the big freerace sail test of French Planchemag 2/2023:

EASY TO USE AND ALIVE "The new PATRIK 3-cam Freerace sail with 6 battens - delivered with two sets of cambers (RDM/SDM) - combines the profile and features of its competition predecessor, the RaceSF, with a reduced-with mast pocket. It comes with the shortest boom and the highest clew eyelets in the test."

ON THE WATER "It is easy to rig and the lightest and most playful sail also due to its RDM 460 mast. With super-fast planing and with a very progressive acceleration. This combination of lightness and softness makes it comfortable and gives the sail a nice plug & play feeling, right in between a sporty freeride and freerace sail. With more wind, the GT3 forms a good profile, making it alive and fun. It is neutral in both hands, making it easy to turn and maneuver for tacks and jibes and it’s going upwind well. It got a better on/off behaviour than the other sails in the test and keeps planing effortlessly. The sail feels more reactive while accelerating or fully planing and it allows the rider to get creative. The GT3 convinces with top notch results without being the absolut fastest sail in all the wind ranges. The finer the rider’s movements are, the lighter the sail feels, also less locked and less physical than the other sails that feel heavier."

CONCLUSION "This Patrik GT3 brings in a fresh taste, a touch of freedom and playful lightness. Like that it’s accessible and easy for anybody to push a Freerace sails to top speed. It’s very suitable for foiling too."

Power: 8.5/10

Highend control: 10/10

Ease of use: 10/10

Camber rotation: 10/10

Handling: 10/10

Performance: 9/10

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