CAPPELLINI TAKES 4TH WIN OF SEASON IN SARDINIA!
PHARAON & GILLMAN TAKE THE PODIUM STEPS!

CAGLIARI, Italy: (7th of July 2002) - Italian World Champion Guido Cappellini won his 4th race of the season by holding off two stiff challenges and getting a little luck thrown in at the end when the race was stopped 9 laps from the end, to move 41 points into the championship lead in the U.I.M. F1 World Championship for powerboating at the Grand Prix of the Mediterranean.

Well over 20,000 race fans enjoyed the warm weather and perfect sunshine as the field of 19 drivers took off late in the afternoon for the scheduled 50 lap event. Off the pole Cappellini, jumped out front and held a healthy margin until he started getting tremendous pressure from fellow Italian Francesco Cantando in the Singha Beer team entry 8 laps into the event.

Cantando pushed hard getting side by side with Cappellini twice but could never hold a lead and finally on the 17th lap he spun out on turn 4 and sent the boat on end, ending his day and possibily a chance to win his first world title.

On the re-start, Cappellini took off in clear water and led by 8 seconds over Saudi Arabian driver Laith Pharaon in his Fours Seasons boat and American Scott Gillman who had a great run moving up to 3rd from 5th. As the laps continued Pharaon closed on Cappellini and with Gillman right behind we had all three boats within 5 seconds of each other fighting for the win with 10 laps remaining.

The face of the race changed immediately when Italian rookie Vencenzo Polli submarined on the north side of the course and with the heavy winds building on the back side of the course on the open ocean end, the officials ended the event and giving Cappellini a win without either Pharaon or Gillman a chance to chase the 6-time World Champion on a restart and dash for the closing few tours.

Cappellini's win now gives him 44 on his career and he now has 80 points on the season. Pharaon moves up in the championship with 47 points. For the American Scott Gillman, his 3rd marks the 5th straight time that he has finished on the podium in Cagliari and his 12 points move him into 2nd place in the title run with 49 points.

Italian Ivan Torta was 4th with another great run from his 10th starting position in the Singha Beer boat. Portugese pilot Duarte Benavente was forced to settle for 5th after starting 4th in the Interpass Castrol Burgess boat. Massimo Roggiero took 6th in the Zepter machine, while another Italian Fabrizio Bocca did well starting 11th and finishing 7th in his Corona Extra machine.

Taking 8th is Jari Honkala in the ABG Castrol entry in a steady drive. 9th was Italian rookie Vencenzo Polli and Thani Al Qamzi was 10th in the Emirates boat.

Italian Fabio Comparato who qualified 2nd for the event struggled to get to the grid and lasted just 17 laps in last place when he dropped out. Sami Selio in the 3.0 Johnson engine lasted 34 laps before his engine gave up the ghost giving Mercury an all field fiinish in the 2.5 litre powered units.

French driver Philippe Dessertenne was a non starter having his electrial starter fail at the beginning of the event.

The U.I.M. F1 World Championship Tour takes 3 weeks off as it gets ready for it's 6th event of the season on the 4th of August in Stralsund, and the Grand Prix of Germany.