Day 1 of competition ends with rain, thunder, and lightening as the wind refused to blow sufficiently to get any official results.
 
The opening day of the 2008 Ulsan PWA World Cup welcomed sailors to scenic JinHa beach with clear blue skies and a fresh offshore wind. While the sailors waited for the wind to fill in over the competition area, much of the talk on the beach surrounded the previous nights opening ceremony at the luxurious Lotte Hotel in Ulsan.
 
To mark the official start to the competition, organizers laid on a lavish night of music, speeches and dining akin to an Oscar ceremony.
 
Guests including sailors, organizers, press and sponsors were welcomed to the event with traditional Korean music, followed by a number of speeches greeting competitors, and commemorating the start of the second PWA slalom event in Ulsan. The evening finished with a five course banquet before the sailors headed back to JinHa to prepare for the next days competition.
 
The morning of day 1 was spent in frustration, as the wind blew for short spells, and then backed off before the race committee had a chance to scramble the sailors to the water.
 
The afternoon looked considerably more promising and, despite clouds moving over the event site, the wind had shifted cross-shore and looked set to build. Shortly before 4pm, race officials announced heat one would go ahead, and its 12 sailors hit the water to compete on the 4-buoy downwind slalom course.
 
Unfortunately, the fluky wind that plagued the morning made its return as heat one came to an end, and heat two entered its countdown sequence. Race director, Juan Antonio Aragon rightfully abandoned both heats, and as the sailors returned to the beach, the heavens opened and day one of competition drew to a close with thunder and lightening.
 
Tomorrow’s skippers’ meeting is scheduled for 10.00am, with a first possible start to competition at 10.30am.