GILLMAN'S WINLESS STREAK ENDS IN DOMINATING VICTORY!
CAPPELLINI'S 2ND MOVES HIM BACK IN CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD!

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: (5th of October)- Two-times FI Powerboat World Champion Scott Gillman (USA) warded off a strong challenge to win the Formula I Powerboat Malaysian Grand Prix at the fifth stop in the U.I.M. F1 World Championship at the Mines City Resort City just outside Kuala Lumpur, Sunday October 5, 2003.

The American Scott Gillman led from the pole and powered his way with ease completing a powerful and dominating performance winning by 26.79 seconds. He completed 50 laps in 52:00:32 to finish ahead of favorite Guido Cappellini of Italy who clocked 52:26:70. Saudi Arabia's Leith Pharaon was third in 52:33:71.

Scott Gillman won his first event of the year and stopped at the 4th Annual Grand Prix of Malaysia his 30 race winless. Gillman, who last won in Cagliari, Sardinia during his World Championship year in 2000, had battled through a frustrating 3 seasons with 13 (DNF's) did not finishes and 14 podium finishes despite not picking up a win until today.

The native of Los Angeles, California led his way off the start and survived an early yellow flag when Swedish driver Pierre Lundin pulled off in the racing line and gave the field a 2nd chance to catch the Emirates Team lead driver. The 1997 and 2000 World Champion never let up and lapped all but the top 4 racers in the event. With the win, Gillman moves back into 3rd place in the championship with 47 points.

Italian Guido Cappellini did what he need to do by moving from 3rd to 2nd on the start and stayed there the whole time picking up 15 more points and now has a 15 point cushion in the championship with fellow Italian Francesco Cantando of the Singha Racing Team who dropped out with engine problems while up in the top 5 despite trim failure. Cantando now stays at 55 points with Cappellini holding down 70.

Saudi driver Laith Pharaon put on a great show charging his way back towards the front in the final quarter of the event after being mired as low as 9th at one point of the event. Pharaon, coming off a frustrating 9th qualifying session pushed past Fabio Comparato, who took 6th in his Comparto Racing effort, then got caught up with a great three boat tussle with Danish driver Gert Ladefoged who would finish 4th in his DanIta Racing DAC and Italian Fabrizio Bocca of the Corona Extra Team who had held 3rd all race long until the final corner of the event.

Pharaon on the 48th of the 50 lap event spun out in turn 6 chasing Bocca but recoved and pushed hard in the final tour until Bocca came up on Russian pilot Stanislov Kourtsenovsky teammate to Cappellini on the Zepter Team effort as he and native of St. Petersburg got together taking out any dream for the Italian to reach the podium for the first time since Moscow of 1998.

Young UAE driver Thani Al Qamzi got another top-5 effort with his 5th place at the end after qualifying 12th in a solid run with rookie Julius Leysen finishing the best of his short career with a 7th in his DanIta Racing effort.

Bocca was classified 8th at the end despite not finishing while Kourtsenovsky took 9th and Australian Bob Trask of the Baba Seaquest Racing Team picking up the 10th and final 1 point in the championship.

Multi-time Jonathan Jones jumped from the broadcast booth to return to the water after starting 16th and moving up to 8th before his engine retired and so did the Welshman. Last years winner Massimo Roggiero who started 2nd fell down the order and was running 6th before dropping out on the 35th lap in his Baba Seaquest Racing DAC.

Portuguese driver Duarte Benevente was up to 4th early until his day ended on the 27th lap with a DNF. Others disappointed were Frenchman Philippe Dessertenne who dropped out after 18 laps and Sami Selio who started 10th and left after 14 tours.

With four rounds more to go, Cappellini has 70 points - 15 points more than fellow Italian Francesco Cantando who failed to complete the race yesterday. Last year's Malaysian winner Massimo Roggiero also dropped out of the Malaysian race. Malaysia's Simon Saw encountered engine problems that surfaced early on in the race and only completed 42 laps for 16th place in a field of 24 starters. He is planning to race again on occasion of the Grand Prix of Singapore.

The next round of the 2003 U.I.M. F1 World Championship for powerboating will be on the 26th of October and the Grand Prix of Singapore the 6th event of the campaign.