CAPPELLINI BEATS GILLMAN IN POLE BATTLE AT HELSINKI!
FINNISH DRIVERS SELIO & WECKSTROM 5TH AND 6TH!

HELSINKI, Finland: (14th of June) -  Italian Guido Cappellini took his 48th career pole position and will lead the field of 23 drivers for the 2nd start of the 2003 UIM F1 World Championship for powerboating in the inner harbour of Helsinki , Finland.

The 3rd Annual Grand of Finland saw native son Sami Selio leading the time sheets early only to have Cappellini pass him in the first of two timed sessions of the day. In the final run for the pole position in the top 6 "shootout", Cappelllini, lead driver of the Zepter Team did a 40.53 second lap and a time of 177.64 kph.

American Scott Gillman of the Emirates team moved from 4th to 2nd quick with a speed of 174.54 kph with a time of 41.25 seconds around the 6 turn course. Gillman, who failed to finish the first race of the season is hoping for rough water and a good result to get squarely back in the championship flight.

Francesco Cantando, 2nd in the championship was 3rd quickest with a 41.69 lap and a speed of 172.70 kph. Cantando recently was awarded his 2nd place back by winning his case in court while at the same time given out 2 yellow cards when his canopy was let go off his boat because of fumes in the cockpit in what the officials stated was a dangerous position. Cantando with a win could move ahead of Cappellini in the title run.

Portugese driver Duarte Benavente reached 4th off the dock for another time in his career with a great run in his English built Burgess hull and a speed of 167.20 kph. Benavente is hoping for his 2nd ever podium position.

Finnish teammates Sami Selio 5th and Michael Weckstrom 6th had up and down results. Selio was 2nd quick in the first session in his 3.0 litre Johnson powered craft fight the other 22 boats that favored the 2.5 litre Mercury power. His teammate Weckstrom had a chance to even better than 6th until he made a mistake at the turn 1 pin hitting with Saudi driver Laith Pharaon forcing both out of the 2nd session with Pharaon in his Team Green machine settling for a disappointing 9th.

Great Britian driver Andy Elliott will start 7th while last year's race winner Philippe Dessertenne will start 8th in his Ligier Sports Moore hulled machine. Last year's pole sitter Fabio Comparato will start back in 10th.

22 drivers from 4 different continents will take on a very demanding and challenging 6 pin course facing high narrow walls on one end and open channel higher waves that lead to the open ocean at the other. Race time is scheduled for 1500 local, 1200 GMT and 0800 Eastern Time in North America.