After a mellow morning with the first skippers meeting held at 10am the competitors prepared ready for the first slalom races. Excitement was in the air and spectators and competitors alike could not wait for the action finally to start.
The previous evening the official opening ceremony took place in the main city square followed by some groovy tunes from the local DJ, some refreshment, beverages and speeches from one of the IFCA Class members, some competitors of interest and the city mayor.[more]
Somewhat after mid day the thermal winds slowly began to increase. The first elimination for the men was scheduled with the first round of 8 heats with 8 competitors and only the top 4 advancing and 2 heats for the women with 10 competitors and only the top 5 advancing.
Lena Erdil TUR-33 was in great shape and probably avoided all mistakes, leading the races from start to end including the last final of the day as she forced herself to head out and perform on a top level even with a deep cut in her foot. She was quickly brought to a medical clinic straight after her victory winning the first elimination of the 2016 IFCA Zoo station Bol Slalom World Championship.
Vincent Langer GER-1: “It’s really amazing to be here actually and the conditions are super amazing, I was full powered up on my 8.4… I am so happy to have won the first elimination after a great battle with the local Enrico Marotti CRO-401.”
The winds continued to be great during the afternoon with winds from 18 to 25 knots making for a busy afternoon on and off the water. Congratulations to the entire event crew and the Zoo Station Bol and its Organizers for a great event set up on such a beautiful location. The forecast according to the locals looks pretty OK and we may expect some great action again tomorrow on the second competition day.
