CANTANDO CAPTURES 2ND VICTORY IN BATTLE FOR TITLE
GILLMAN’S 2ND PUTS HIM CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD!

SHARJAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: (17TH NOVEMBER) – "Italian Stallion" Francesco Cantando sweep the field and had his first perfect weekend by winning for the 2nd time this year, taking the Grand Prix of Sharjah and moving himself squarely into the championship picture for the final race of the U.I.M. F1 World Championship for power boating next week in Abu Dhabi.

Cantando ran like a fine race horse, using all his horsepower and waited for the opportunity to stike and found that chance when new world championship points leader American Scott Gillman developed trim problems and slowed on the 20th lap. For the 25 year old driver from Northern Italy, it was all he needed as he passed the 1997 World Champion and pulled away to a 21 second victory having a perfect weekend adding the win to his pole position he set earlier in the weekend.

With the win, Cantando now moves into 2nd place one point behind 5-time World Champion Guido Cappellini who was forced to sit out the 2nd of his two suspensions and will come back into the series 3rd with 120 points. For Gillman, it was a big day for the native of Basalt, Colorado, finishing 2nd moves him 10 points ahead of Cantando’s 121 points and 11 ahead of Cappellini. Cantando must win and hope for Gillman to finish below 3rd position in order for him to take the title. Gillman knows he must reach the podium and finish at least 3rd if Cappellini or Cantando finish in front of him.

Reaching the podium in only his first race and setting the country alite was U.A.E. resident Salem Al Khattal who finished 3rd in only his first race of the season. Khattal, who was racing under the MM Power banner of Michael Werner, missed the event in Antwerp, Belguim when his boat couldn’t make the start of the race. For Salem, it was a magical day starting 12th and steadily moving up in front of government officials in mass watching the event and cheering on the native son.

Fourth was Italian veteran Massimo Roggiero, who pushed his Baba Racing Petrobras boat near Al Khattal late in the event but couldn’t pass him for the podium. Young Portugal driver Duarte Benavente had a great day moving up steadily from his 13th starting position to finish in the top time for the 4th time this season.

Norway’s Frode Sundsdal racing for the first time this season came home 6th after starting way back in 19th position happy in his Sharjah City American built Seebold hull. Another first timer this year veteran Andy Elliott of the U.K. was 7th after running up from 20th position. Italian Franco Leidi reached the top 10 for the 5th time with an 8th place and the final finisher Saudi's Laith Pharon was 9th.

Jonathan Jones, the 4-time World Champion from Wales was scheduled to start 2nd but couldn't get away with engine problems in his OMC 3 litre as his teammate Philippe Dessertenne having the same misfortune and dropping out after sitting in 3rd.

Gilllman’s teammate Awad Al Quibaisi was showing great form coming from 6th off the grid to 2nd in the first lap and staying there until dropping out with a strained wrist after running into Cantando.

Fabio Comparato, 3rd in the championship with 105 points coming into the event, had a terrible start from the 5th position and charged towards the front in his Laserline/Castrol DAC Racing machine but ended up running into Swedish rookie Jari Honkala in turn one of the first lap and lost his chance for the world title.

The race came to a halt on the 16th lap when Russian pilot Stanislov Kourtsenovski blew his boat over in a big way on the front straightaway bringing out the yellow flag.

So, the season comes down to the final race in Abu Dhabi for the World Championship for the 3rd time in the last 5 years as the U.I.M. F1 World Championship circus heads to Abu Dhabi for this Friday's final on the 24th. Strange things have happened in years past with Cappellini thinking he had the championship wrapped up in 1998, needing only a 10th place finish for the title only to drop out. American Scott Gillman needed just 7 laps to win that event at the end only to drop out, handing Jonathan Jones his first win of the season and the title. It's possible this could happen again. Three pilots, Gillman, Cantando and Cappellini have a chance to win the crown of World Champion. Abu Dhabi will be the final chapter of a 8 month story. Stay tuned.