Divided into two legs over two days, the event started from Ocean Terminal at 1.00pm on Friday 12 July, after a promotional procession to the top of one of Edinburgh's landmarks, Calton Hill. The first day consisted of seven stages, including four visits to the spectators' favourite water-splash at Langton. Opinions about the weather prospects were divided, but the arrival of black clouds and some heavy showers as the cars left the Ocean Terminal start ramp for Duns started concentrating minds somewhat. The tyre companies had bought a selection of slicks, intermediates and wets in different compounds, and the definitive tyre choice was the main topic of conversation at first service in Newtown Street, Duns. The fact that some stages were just damp, whilst others were running with water, caused some anxious moments for team managers, and the final selection played an important part in the first day's results.
The opening dramas concerned David Henderson and Stuart Darcy, both Ford Puma mounted. Henderson's run of bad PBRC luck continued when a drive-shaft broke on the way down to Duns from Edinburgh. Although the shaft was changed, unknown to anyone a front wheel bearing had been damaged, which in turn caused braking problems for the works Ford driver. A resulting excursion on to the grass terminally damaged the radiator, and David was one of the early retirements. Darcy exited stage left even more quickly, crashing out on the second corner of the first stage.
The changeable conditions also caught out Charlie Jukes and Leon Pesticcio. Jukes, getting off to a flying start as usual and determined to do well after missing the last event, locked up his Group A Impreza under braking, slid off into some trees and damaged his oil cooler too badly to continue. The unlucky Pesticcio (Group N Evo 7) had his own problems, sliding wide on a particularly slippery corner on the same Abbey St. Bathans stage and removing his near-side rear wheel against an unfortunately positioned telegraph pole. He retired a few hundred metres later, the wheel clattering uselessly along the road.
