Having owned a 109b since '85 and having flown the Stemme and the Taifun,
I'm quite happy with my b.

Performance isn't everything! I've just flown my 109b from the Toronto area
to the EAA fly-in at Arlington WA and back with my 14 year old daughter,
luggage, camping gear and 100 litres of fuel at altitudes up to 11500'. A
Stemme would barely carry a lunch box and is not as pleasant to fly,
although it does have that incredible L/D. In fact, flying the Stemme cured
me of Stemme lust and made me more satisfied with the Grob! I love soaring
and even did some over the Rockies on this trip. I fly thermals frequently
in weak Ontario conditions.

The Taifun is quite comparable to the 109b in performance, but much more
complex with it's retractable tricycle gear and flaps. I loved it's sliding
canopy and fighter-like looks, but opted for simplicity with my 109b and
have never regretted it.

The Ximango (ex Fournier) looks to be a good ship but also more complex than
the Grob.

The Sinus looks like it would fit in the new Sport Aircraft category and
seems to compare favourably.

Good luck in whatever choice you make.

P.S. I also fly the ultimate motorglider, the B767 8)

Jim



"Stewart Kissel" wrote in
message ...
Is a Grob 109 a 500K machine? Of course not. Will it thermal adequately=
for the conditions you will fly in? I don't see why not. And last time=
I checked, soaring cross country in Hawaii was limited to the size of th=
e islands. So I suppose you could spend $100k+ on a "true" soaring machi=
ne, but I think you are on the right track for what your needs are.