Britain’s leading female driver switches teams
Shelley Jory-Leigh has been confirmed as the new driver for the Spirit of Belgium team for its 2010 offshore SuperSport Class World Championship campaign. Jory-Leigh, British powerboat racing’s leading female pilot, formerly part of the Ikocasa team, will join Patrick Huybreghts in Split at the Croatian Grand Prix of the Sea, on April 16-18.
Following the recent announcement of Jory-Leigh’s sponsorship deal with international watch manufacturers, Rotary, she has opted to part company with Audrien Ciantar but is extremely pleased with her growing relationship with Spirit of Belgium owner, Huybreghts.
“Everything has been really positive so far. It’s great to be racing with Patrick and I am really excited to be joining a new team. The new boat looks amazing and we both truly believe that we have a fantastic chance of winning the world championship this year.”
The team’s official testing is due to begin at the end of February with Shelley joining Patrick at his Nor-Tech base in Fort Myers, Florida. Jory-Leigh said: “Having started preparations earlier this year, we are much more organised and in great shape for testing.
“Patrick and I are working brilliantly together on team arrangements, logistics and sponsorship. Hopefully with my finesse and Patrick’s aggression, we can hit the ground running in Croatia in April and build upon some strong team foundations.”
Huybreghts, who set a Guinness World Record for the fastest crossing of The English Channel in a powerboat in 2007, was impressed with Shelley’s drive and determination, during his rookie year in 2009.
