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Contact: Marilyn DeMartini, 954-564-7234, 954-649-4904 cell

SIZE MATTERS FOR CIANTAR IN 2008 UIM POWERBOAT P1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP


Aaron Ciantar, the 28-year-old international powerboat racer from Fgura, Malta, becomes a strong contender for the P1 SuperSport world title, following the announcement that he will join 2007 Powerboat P1 World Champions, ‘Racing Project’ for the 2008 race season.

Ciantar, one of the most highly respected pilots in P1 and voted Powerboat P1’s 2005 ‘Rookie of the Year’ by fellow racers, will race the MerCruiser-powered Chaudron 41 alongside Italian team owner and SuperSport Class P1 World Champion throttleman Angelo Tedeschi. “I am very excited to be racing with Angelo,” Ciantar says. “I helped build the craft and have spent many hours testing it, so I understand its balance and performance. I have great respect for my new throttleman; he is, after all, the reigning world champion.”

For the past three seasons, Ciantar and his sister/co-pilot Audrienne have battled against the world’s top production monohulls in a 33-foot vessel, which is a full nine feet shorter than the boats run by most of the field. And while every man knows that “size is not everything,” the Ciantar family proved the adage, using a mixture of talent, bravery and seamanship to battle and beat bigger hulls with more powerful engines. Nonetheless, Ciantar is anxious to start in his new assignment. “When I was testing the Chaudron 41 with Angelo before the start of last year, I made a turn at full-throttle and he just looked at me and said, ‘fancy racing with me, no one else drives like that!’,” Ciantar recalls. “At the time, I just smiled, but since that moment I have wanted to get behind the wheel to prove to myself what is possible with a bigger, more powerful, race boat.”

“Racing Project’ Owner/Throttleman Angelo Tedeschi is just as anxious to begin defending his 2007 championship. “Having won the world title, we must work even harder to defend it,” Tedeschi says, “Aaron will provide us with that extra ‘something.’ He sleeps and breathes powerboating, has spent his whole life on the sea and is a highly accomplished seaman. He will be a good investment for the team. Even Hannes Bohinc rates him highly, so he MUST be good!” Ciantar agrees, “It is sure to be a tough season. The Championship will be so competitive and having won the title last year, the pressure will be on the ‘Racing Project’ team.

Both Aaron and Audrienne Ciantar work in the family boat building business in Malta and are presently involved in race preparation of the Chaudron 41, which returned to the island recently from testing in Italy. Audrienne will take a role with team ‘Racing Project,’ but does not intend to race in the 2008 Powerboat P1 World Championship season.

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