Graeme Cant wrote:

I must have only flown off traditional winches. My experience is the
same as Bill Daniels. What over-powered monster do you fly off?

I have flown off winches at 5 UK sites and 5 US sites (9 different
winches). I don't think any of them were over-powered monsters but
most had enough power to see this effect.

Please refer to "Gliding" by Derek Piggott, which was the standard UK
text when I started flying gliders. Page 80 of fourth edition -
"Unless the winch is seriously underpowered, steepening the climb will
result in an increase in launching speed".

Andy