September comes to a close, bringing with it the start of autumn.

In accompaniment is the foremost trade show of the paragliding world, the Coupe d’Icare in St. Hilaire de Touvet, France.

A wide swath of vendors and manufactures attend the CdI to hawk wares and provide glimpses of pending product releases – the latter hoping to whet appetites in advance of the long dark of winter.

The manufacturer of the wing I currently fly, Gin, brought with it a manufacturing sample of what could well be the lightweight variant of the Carrera/Carrera+ – the Explorer.

While having released the Sprint 3 as a catch weight (mixing standard and light weight fabrics) mid range B, it would appear Gin has decided to follow in the foot steps of other manufacturers and released a true lightweight version of it’s top end B.

I am excited to see this wing brought to market as it would make a great travel companion.

Update 16/12/23 : Gin Explorer – Small in Topaz arrived just in time for a week long XC tour/course in Valle de Bravo, Mexico. A big thank you to Jim R. @ FlyBc.org and Brett H. @ FlyGinCanada.com.

 

 

Comparison of riser layout for the Carrera Plus, Explorer, and Carrera. Notice how Gin opted for a much simpler riser design for the Explorer yet did not carry over the extended range of motion for the C riser (from the Carrera Plus).

Unboxing photos: