Hawke's Bay Jet Sprint team crowned Group B 1NZ
Hawke's Bay Jet Sprint team The Link ECU of John Verry and Leila Burder won the Group B class of the PSP NZ Jetsprint Championship this season,
They finished second in the first round at Featherston last November, then followed it up with first placings in the next four rounds, taking out the title at the final round held in Wanaka at Easter.
Managing director of SMB Productions in Onekawa, Verry, was driving in his second season. He had spent time in the off season working with experienced Bay jet sprinter David Simmons, fine tuning the Stinger L98 package. Verry had previously navigated for Simmons in the Blue Flame Super Boat for several years and the pair had plenty of radical ideas.
Using their engineering know how they created some exciting new parts for the boat which have proved successful.
Jet sprinting is in navigator Leila Burder’s blood. She is the last of her family to take up the sport.
Simmons is her stepdad, her mum Pip Thompson is the previous driver of the Link ECU boat. Stepsister Millie Simmons navigates for David and her brothers Olly and Jake previously raced in the Flounder Pounder, securing several podiums. She is a student at Iona College in Havelock North and at 15 was the youngest person in the competition.
The other Hawke's Bay team of David and Millie Simmons spent the season fine tuning Super Boat Blue Flame. They also finished the season on a high, placing second in the highly competitive Super Boat class in Wanaka.
