KennyOffShore

Portimão, Portugal; September 27, 2008: The Fountain Worldwide 1st4boats.com offshore powerboat team, piloted by Craig Wilson and James Sheppard, captured the necessary points for a back-to-back championship title.

In very rough seas off the southern coast of Portugal, the Fountain team ran a conservative race focused on keeping their nearest points challenger behind them.

“We knew that we needed to keep track of GFN Gibellato and make sure that we did not let them get past,” said team manager Mark Wilson. “At one point they closed the gap, and I told the boys to step it up a bit. They put 10 seconds on the second place boat, and wanted to challenge for the position.” Wilson said that they were not thrilled with the directive to run conservatively, but in the end he pointed out that “we are here to win a championship.”

With a third place finish in race number one of the Portuguese Grand Prix of the Sea, the team ended up on the podium, but more importantly they earned the right to call themselves Powerboat P1 world champions for the second consecutive year.

“Tomorrow, the pressure is off for the season, and we can show everyone what this boat can do,” claimed pilot Craig Wilson. “Now that the championship is settled, we are going to focus on the event, go for the win, and the top overall podium position here in Portimão.”

In a series covering 7 countries, and 2 continents, Powerboat P1 is a true international series with teams from all over the world. With the competition model of P1 featuring a horsepower to weight ratio formula, the series provides a level playing field for marine manufacturers to test their products, and demonstrate their capabilities. Boat builders, engine builders and drive train manufacturers compete head-to-head, with representation from both the United States and Europe. For the marine manufacturers, the level playing field offers the opportunity for true ‘race on Sunday, sell on Monday’ promotion.

This philosophy is the life blood of Fountain Powerboats, the builder of the repeat championship winning boat. Fountain is based in Washington, NC, and has built a reputation on winning races and taking that winning technology to the consumer.

“We pride ourselves on building the best boats in the world, and we prove that by winning championships and setting speed records,” says Fountain Powerboat CEO, Reggie Fountain. “The win in Europe once again shows how well our boats perform.

The Fountain Worldwide race boat is the exact same hull that we use on our pleasure versions, and is the same hull that holds the world speed record at 177 miles per hour.”

The Fountain Worldwide 1st4boats.com team is powered by Ilmore V-10 engines, the marine version of the engine that powers the awesome Dodge Viper. Paul Ray, President of Ilmore made the trip the Portimão to watch the team, and was thrilled with the outcome. “They are working on obtaining EU (European Union) certification for the engine this year, the performance of the boat on the P1 series is a huge element of their overall marketing strategy,” said Wilson.

The second consecutive win is a huge testament to the boat and the team, according to both Wilson and Fountain. “We are tremendously proud of the accomplishments of the Fountain Worldwide 1st4boats.com team,” said Fountain. “They are fierce competitors, and are a key part of our European sales efforts.”

The final race of the season will kick off tomorrow in Portimão, and can be heard live on P1 Radio, KISS 101.2FM, and seen live on Sports TV-3 in Portugal. Schedule information is available on the Powerboat P1 website at www.powerboatp1.com.

Fountain Powerboats is traded on the American Stock Exchange under the symbol FPB. For more information on Fountain Powerboats, contact Gary Baltz, VP of Marketing, or
visit the Fountain Powerboats site at www.fontainpowerboats.com.