The Puma is Gin’s new lightweight hike-and-fly competition racer, an 86-cell two-liner with EN-D certification.
It’s made for hike-and-fly and classic XC competitions, and is derived from the EN-D Leopard. Gin said their goal was to reduce weight and pack size while sacrificing none of the performance, and they are very happy with its “exceptional sink rate in climbs, and best-in-class top speed and glide”.
Gin say the Puma’s performance was more important than its out-and-out light weight, so although it isn’t the absolute lightest in the class, they believe its performance is right up there at the top.
Handling is light and direct, and the tips are very stable in accelerated flight. Its agility makes it easy to climb in small pieces of lift and its obvious stall point is handy for tight landing spots. Test pilot Idris Birch says it is noticeably easier to launch in nil or back-winds, thanks to its light sail.
The Puma is made from 27g Porcher cloth throughout with an optimised internal structure, and weighs over a kilo less than the Leopard, at 3.8kg for the XS (20.5m²) and 4.1kg for the S (22.3m²).
