lizzard wrote: ↑Wed Oct 11, 2017 6:15 pmCan somebody help me here ...what is climb ability other than sink rate? just another new cool marketing term or am I missing something ?
Lizzard,
Over the long view, those two terms are almost interchangeable, but there is a difference. A glider with a very good sink rate may flex when hit by lift, and spill out some of the air that would otherwise drive the glider higher. A more rigid glider, with an equal sink rate, can resist flexing to "catch" the upward-going air, and be carried upward faster than the first glider.
This performance difference actually does not last long; once both gliders are climbing at the same rate, the stiffer glider has no advantage in the climb. The more flexible glider may even survive extremes of turbulence that could break the more rigid glider, bending almost like a reed in the wind, but neither glider should be airborne in those conditions. Any modern glider will be strong enough to handle reasonable turbulence.
The glider with the best climb-ability (in strong conditions) can yank you upward so fast, you may get the breath crushed out of your lungs by your harness for a moment. Across 40 years of HG, the best glider in that department was the Albatross. In my experience, nothing else could lift you as hard as that glider. Still, almost any glider today can glide better than the Albatross. Back in the day, however, it was a wonder.