Gradient 2009 UK XC League Results

Gradient 2009 XC League Results
Congratulations to all participants in this years' UK XC League for making it a record year. In terms of total KM flown, the top three pilots would have won any previous year.
Best place Gradient Pilot was Philip Wallbank in 5th with 576.5km and he also wins a prize for the longest flight on a DHV2 wing, 151km from Eyam Edge on 22nd August on his trusty old Aspen. This was also the 7th best flight of the year! Julian Robinson was 6th with 554.4km and Ian Miskin 9th with 548.2km on their XC2's. Judith Mole was 3rd best Woman with 270.9km on her Aspen 2.
Gradient continue to be the most popular brand amongst xc pilots in the UK

In the Local Club Leagues:

Cumbrian League: Burkitt Rudd Avax SR8 2nd, Ben Keayes Avax XC 3rd.
Pennine League: Philip Wallbank Aspen1 1st.
SHPF League: Julian Robinson Avax XC2 1st, David Thomson Avax XC2 2nd, Ian Miskin Avax XC2 3rd.
Northumbria League: Chris Foster Avax XC2 2nd, Jim Bittlestone Golden 2 1st in the 1/2 class and 4th overall (not too bad for his first season).
Avon League: Martin Nichols Aspen 2 3rd.
Gap League: Mark Jones Avax XC2 2nd.
Wessex League: Paul Hawkins Aspen 2 1st, Gary Puhl Aspen 2 2nd, Shamus Pitts Golden 2 3rd.

Thanks to Richard Westgate for providing this analysis

Ondřej testing in De Aar

Ondřej Dupal has returned once again to one of his favourite winter testing locations, De Aar. With him, he has Gradient’s expected replacement to the highly successful Avax XC2. The design brief for this replacement is a new high-end wing that’s resolutely targeted within the EN D category. We are anticipating a very high performance serial racer to take on the best of the rest in this hotly contested category, combined with all that ‘sweetness’ in both handling and feedback which has become a trade-mark for Gradient.

Photo credit - Triantafyollos Gkikopoulos

News has recently been supplied to me that Ondřej is very pleased with performance tests of the proto XC3's. Though, it is not yet clear which of the two protos they have with them is proving to be the 'sweetest' performer. What is known is the Gradient team has two protos with diffferent aspect ratio one of 6.5 and the other 6.8. However news about line consumption / layout etc is still a mystery.

Looking ahead, this wing should be ready for certification, in the early part of 2010.

Here's a couple of links to recent flights by Ondřej on the likely Xc2 replacement.

http://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:ondrejjd/14.11.2009/11:01

http://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:ondrejjd/17.11.2009/10:30