NGK sponsors Black Magic
Teenager Jade Berridge has just completed a successful first season as the youngest navigator in the UK Powerboat P1 SuperStock Championship.
The 16-year-old schoolgirl and her father Vince finished fifth overall in the championship in their 150bhp boat Black Magic – which is sponsored by NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd – and received an award at the end-of-season prize-giving ceremony after the last event in Liverpool.
Vince (46), a builder from Hemel Hempstead, said: “It has been a really enjoyable year. I started boating as a youngster with my uncle in Poole and then introduced my three children to it.
“I became interested in the idea of powerboat racing last summer, but assumed it would be really difficult to get involved. Then I looked at the P1 SuperStock series and everything has quickly fallen into place.
“Jade had to pass her navigation exams before we started the season and she has done incredibly well. I’m really proud of her. She is very light, but really confident. The boats can reach speeds of up to 60mph and Jade got battered in the first race of the season when she was thrown out of her seat in really rough weather conditions, but it didn’t put her off and she has carried on competing through the season. “She has done so well that we were named ‘pilot of the year’ by other competitors which was fantastic and we are now looking forward to next season.” The highlight of the season was when the pair won a time trial event during the Hull round of the championship and received gift watches for their efforts. Plus, there was a special bonus for Jade, who is studying for her GCSEs at Longdean School in Hemel Hempstead, as Vince had promised to buy her a new pair of expensive shoes for every race they won.