York hang glider Richard Lovelace has flown into the world top 40 after becoming national champion in a golden summer.

Successes this summer include: becoming the UK national champion and coming third in the incorporated FAI international, finishing 26th in the Pre-European competition in Croatia, leading the English team to a storming victory over the French in the Bleriot Cup, and rising up the world ranking table by more than 300 places to 33rd.

The net result is a national title and a guaranteed place at next summer's European Championships in Croatia.

He said: "This year's been a fantastic year. It's beyond all my dreams - even the wildest ones that I dreamt up while sat in the bath.

"I've been flying competitively for just three years and my world ranking last year was 362 or something so it was totally unplanned and unexpected and I'm really pleased.

"It means I go into next year as the top British pilot and the third highest-ranked Brit in the world."

The UK championship took place in the Spanish Pyrenees and was made up of six tasks from 60 to 100 kilometres in length with times and routes measured by global positioning technology.

In winning the Alvin Russell Trophy, Lovelace clocked the competition's fastest time with an average speed of 65kph.

He then led the English team in the Bleriot Cup - the annual Anglo-French contest for novice fliers, in which Lovelace last year helped wrestle off the French for the first time this century.

After turning down the team captain's role, he took on the challenge of being the tactical manager and literally blazed the trail for his team-mates to follow, Pied Piper style.

"We didn't just beat the French," said the 39-year-old from Strensall. "We absolutely thrashed them."

A missed day from the British Open series, part of which was filmed for the BBC Inside Out programme, combined with abysmal weather conditions meant he had to settle for a disappointing eighth place, or he may have had more silverware on his mantelpiece.

Up next for the Network Rail signalman is an appointment at the Istra Peninsular in Croatia in June.

He said: "The big one this year is the European Championships, which is second only to the World Championships. Because I'm now British champion, that automatically gets me a place in the Europeans.

"I'm also hoping to get picked for the Pre-Worlds in Texas in August. I'm 99 per cent sure that I can, so it's just a case of organising time off work."

Any sponsors interested in benefiting from Lovelace's international exposure can get in touch by calling on 07801 847 487.

Updated: 10:18 Thursday, October 13, 2005