RACE FOR CHAMPIONSHIP RED HOT AS 2ND HALF BEGINS!
CANTANDO & CAPPELLINI LEAD WAY TIED IN POINTS!!

ABU DHABI, UAE: (Thursday, 24th of September) - The summer "recess" is over, the boats are in place and it's time to get back to the business of deciding who will be the 2003 U.I.M. F1 World Champion of powerboat racing as the field of drivers from 4 different continents head to the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur and the Grand Prix of Malaysia on the 5th of October on the lake at the Mines Resort City complex.

It's been 8 weeks since the last round of the championship where Italian Francesco Cantando took a dominating win at the Grand Prix of Germany, his 2nd victory of the season to move him into a first place tie with fellow Italian Guido Cappellini with 55 points on the season.

Cantando, the lead driver of the Singha F1 Racing Team, won in Germany for the 2nd time in three years and has shown that he can now become a legitimate contender in his Blaze hull that has been put together by the team in the off season. The native of Milan has 9 career victories and came within 3 points of Cappellini for the title two years ago as he searches for his first championship.

The native of Como, Italy, Cappellini, has spent a decade in the middle of championship fights and this is nothing new to the man who has taken the title 7 times and still wants three more before he looks at retirement. A year ago, the lead driver of the Zepter Team finished 2nd in Malaysia to officially capture his championship at this event. This season, it will be a lot different with Guido a long way away from concluding a certain title with 5 races left in the 2003 season. A victory here, his career 47th would go a long way towards an 8th championship, anything less could be a crushing blow to his chances of a repeat.

Third in the title run is another Italian, Fabio Comparato, who has had a steady season with a pair of 3rd place finishes in the first four races of the year. Comparato, who heads the Nautica Comparato Team, is still looking for his first career victory while holding down 37 points for the season. Last year in Malaysia he started 4th and finished 4th.

American driver Scott Gillman is 4th in the title run with 27 points despite two DNF's including a crash the last time out at the Grand Prix of Germany at the races first turn. Gillman was lucky not to be injured as his boat was in pieces as he got tangled up with two others in the four boat crash to start the event in Stralsund. The head driver of the Emirates Team when finishing has two straight podium finishes with a 3rd in Finland and a 2nd in Sardinia. The native of Los Angeles, California is chasing his 3rd World Championship title in his 7 year on the tour.

Portuguese driver Duarte Benavente is 5th with 23 points with 3 top-5 finishes including a best 4th place finish in Helsinki. Benavente, like Comparato is looking for his career first win and is still right in the mix for the championship. Last season in Malaysia Benavente struggled starting 20th and quickly DNF's in 19th place. He's hoping his bad luck has been left on the shore of last year's race for the Atlantic Team.

One point behind Benavente is youngster Thani Al Qamzi of the Emirates Team after a fine 2nd place finish in Germany. The current F2000 champion of the Presidents Cup competition has two top 5 finishes this season in the two races he's finished in just 3 starts. Last season Thani was 10th after starting 14th in KL.

Another point behind with 21 on the season is last year's runner-up in the championship Laith Pharaon of Team Green. Pharaon, who was involved in the first turn incident at the Grand Prix of Germany, has two top 4 finishes sandwiched in between two non finishes. He will have to be more consistent if he is going to win his first championship and he still has time with the "Middle East" schedule yet to run. Last year here in Malaysia Laith started 5th and finished 6th.

8th in the championship and with still a shot at number one with 19 points is Frenchman Philippe Dessertenne of the Ligier Sports Team. A new boat that was designed for the native of La Rochelle by the Moore camp famous for their endurance boat building skills hasn't been fully sorted out. Dessertenne, who is one of the tours quickest pilots, is coming off a fine 4th place in Germany after a pair of 6th place runs. Last year in Malaysia he started 11th and DNF'd into 17th place a position he does not want to see himself in this time around.

In the 9th position in the championship is Italian Fabrizio Bocca lead driver of the Rainbow Corona Extra effort. His 14 points are courtesy of 4 straight top 10 finishes with his best a 5th at the last event in Germany. A year ago here in Malaysia Bocca started 10th and finished 9th at days end.

Rounding out the top 10 in the championship going into the 5th race of the campaign is Englishman Andy Elliott the veteran who has 10 points for the Team Green on the strength of 4 straight top 10 finishes. His best has come with a 7th in Cagliari in Sardinia and he looks to improve into the top 5 in his New Zealand built KRB hulled machine. Last year he failed to finish after starting a fine 8th.

Italian Massimo Roggiero of the Baba Seaquest Team is the defending race winner here in Malaysia. He dominated the event a year ago with the pole and the victory. This season so far is forgettable with no finishes in his first 4 events including one DNS after injuring his hand prior to the start in Sardinia. Its time that Roggiero's luck changes and this could be the event on a circuit he loves to run on.

The race is the start of back to back Grand Prix's in the Far East with the Grand Prix of Singapore scheduled for the 26th of October. As the world will be watching three Italian drivers up front in the mad dash to try to get a foot hold and an advantage in the championship, others will be watching drivers who have had success here before, or other talented pilots who are looking for a little luck to get them over the top. It should be great fun in a great place the Grand Prix of Malaysia at the lake on the grounds of the Palace of the Golden Horses at the Mines Resort just outside Kuala Lumpur and the 3rd Annual Grand Prix of Malaysia.