HAMPSHIRE powerboat champion Shelley Jory’s season could be back on track thanks to the Daily Echo.

As reported in SailSolent last week, the 38-year-old speedster’s 2009 campaign was plunged into jeopardy after failing to secure funding for the P1 Powerboat season.

But she is now in talks with three potential sponsors who got in touch after reading about her plight in SailSolent.

Shelley and Maltese teammate Audrien Ciantar racked up a podium position after being given a race-winning 41ft powerboat by world champion Angelo Tedeschi for the start of the championship last weekend.

Shelley is now hopeful a deal can be done to secure the £50,000 needed to see the team through the season.

“We are in talks with a Ukrainian businessman who watched us race and loved what he saw. “ she said.

“There are also two English companies we are talking to as a direct result of the article in SailSolent.

“Nothing is set in stone but it’s all looking very positive that we will be able to finish the season which is fantastic news.”

Shelley and Audrien took the water in Malta last weekend in their powerboat Iko Casa scoring a fifth and a third in the first event of the five-venue tour.

The results placed them fourth overall, however Shelley said their results could have been better had they not been caught speeding seven times in the first two laps.

The pair were given a five-minute penalty for smashing the 85mph speed limit.

Shelley, from Southampton, added: “It was a great start to the season, and just goes to show we are competitive and we can keep up with the boys.”

The next event in the P1 Powerboat series is in Istanbul, Turkey, from June 19 to 21.