F1 Powerboat UIM Championship Drivers Elect
New F1 Safety Working Group Members for 2003

Abu Dhabi (UAE), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 - Italian Fabrizio Bocca and Saudi Arabia's Laith Pharaon are the newly elected driver representatives to the UIM F1 Powerboat  Safety Working Group for 2003 after American Scott Gillman stepped down.

Bocca, 45 number one driver with the Team Corona Extra, was UIM World F1 Champion in 1992 while 35 year old Pharaon was silver medallist in the 2002 World Championship with Team Green.

Nicolo di San Germano, Promoter of the UIM F1 Powerboat World Championship: "A key priority of these appointments is to enhance safety standards in F1 Powerboat racing. I am pleased that F1 Powerboat drivers feel so strongly about these standards in their sport. "

Bocca, with almost three decades of experience behind him said: "I decided to run for election as a member of the F1 UIM Powerboat Safety Working Group because we must make our sport safer. This is a top priority. A unanimous vote gives me even more authority. It is important for the drivers to take part not only in the UIM Safety Working Group meetings but also to participate in the UIM process of homologation of new race courses in 2003."

Former UIM 1997 World Class 1 offshore World Champion Pharaon commented: "I have been chosen by my fellow drivers to represent them on the F1 UIM Powerboat Safety Working Group.  DAC, the Italian boat builder responsible for an important part of the 2003 UIM world F1 fleet have carried out extensive research and development of their rigs during the winter months and it has to be a joint effort by designers, builders, myself and safety Working Groups members to ensure that safety remains a top priority in the UIM World F1 Series. I am very honoured to play a part in the programme. I felt like continuing in this line. With new races on the 2003 calendar, the role of the Safety Working Group will be especially important this year. It is a very important factor as the sport is developing at a high-level of technology"