posted Oct 23rd, 2012 - The NSL format with the four different categories has worked out well for many teams in the United Kingdom, as the NSL News reported after the new record number of 72 teams at the UK Nationals 2012. Team after team has joined the 4way fun in one of the lower competition classes and moved up into the next category after a year or two.

Eclipse is one of the teams who entered the chain of 4way addiction in the A Class competition of 2010. Jenny Buckle, Martin Cressey, Jonny Flowers, Ben Lawford and Simon Chittick (Camera) have been together ever since and eventually entered the AAA Class competition this year.

There was only one interruption of the lineup's consistency when Jenny Buckle got injured this year and had to sit out. Vince Lam filled the slot at two of the three outdoor meets. Jenny Buckle had still competed with Eclipse at the World Challenge 2012 and at the UKSL meet in June.

UK Nationals 2010		Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Round 6	Round 7	Round 8	Total	Avg
Rank	A Class	A,21	N,P,J	2,B	4,E	F,6	O,D,M	8,9	C,7	Total	Avg
1	Full Stop (UK)	13	19	12	13	15	25	11	15	123	15.4
2	Eclipse (UK)	12	15	12	11	12	19	9	14	104	13.0
3	Tetris (UK)	7	16	12	10	12	21	9	13	100	12.5

Eclipse has not spent more than one year yet in any of the three competition classes, and the British team has still maintained the scoring progression year after year.

The 13.0 average in the A Class competition of the UK Nationals 2010 brought the silver medals in the first team year. The AA Class competition at the UK Nationals 2011 was too strong for a newcomer to win medals with an 11.4 average.

Of course, Eclipse could not even dream of a medal position in the first AAA Class year at the UK Nationals 2012.

The first really comparable scoring chart will be available at the end of the 2013 season, as Eclipse is making plans for the team's 4th year with the same lineup and for the 2nd year in the AAA Class.

The Paraclete XP Outdoor Championship 2013 could become the first test for Eclipse next year. The event is scheduled for March 15 - 17, and Eclipse is currently taking a very close look at the 2013 training and competition schedule and "scouting out" the options.

The Eclipse members are looking forward to having Jenny Buckle back in the lineup after recovering from her injury, even though substitute Vince Lam filled the slot more than adequately, as the scores have shown.

The start of the 2013/14 training is now only four weeks away for Eclipse. However, team members Jonny Flowers, Martin Cressey and Ben Lawford could not wait that long after the UK Nationals 2012 competed at the 16way competition in Empuriabrava. Their UK team placed 3rd at the same event that the NSL News reported earlier. Eclipse is now even more eager "to improve our flying and our points average in the coming year", as Jonny Flowers told the NSL News.