https://airtribune.com/2017-quest-air-cross-country/blog__day_15

The forecast was southeast winds becoming south further to the north. The odd
part was the call for light to no lift just north of us all the way to
Gainesville. It sure didn't look like that would happen when we looked at the
sky before noon. The forecast showed that there would be 90-100% cloud cover to
our north.

Well, that happened but south of us and just over Quest Air a bit later after we
launched around 12:15 PM. Those pilots who didn't get going on time did
experience a shelf of clouds coming over and shutting down everything to our
south.

But to the north the cu's were popping and there was plenty of sunshine on the
ground. With a predicted 13 mph southeast wind at 2,000' we had decided to go up
Interstate 75 hitting a 8 km turnpoint (optimized) on the east side of the
Dunnellon airfield to stay out of the Ocala airspace, a turn to the north 
past Williston and open after that depending on the actual wind.

Larry Bunner snuck into the line and got off first as we suited up. John Simon
was next and I third. Those two hit strong lift right away but I didn't get any
on tow and then didn't find any in searching around. I should have got off tow
earlier when I could see John circling up to my right. I had to take another tow
while John and Larry got out way ahead of me.

On the second tow I quickly got to over 5,000' and went on the chase. They were
hitting strong lift also so it was a chore trying to catch up with them from 15
km behind.

I kept hitting strong lift to over 5,500' until I left high south of the
I75/Turnpike intersection and ran toward great looking cu's (the sky was full of
them) only to have to work weak lift west of Wildwood.

John and Larry were now over 30 km ahead of me and blazing past Dunnellon. I was
working low and in weak lift making sure that I had places to land.

Searching around and rapidly losing altitude I hit 300 fpm average at 1,500' and
finally felt that I was getting out of the sink hole. I still had no way to
catch these guys.

For me things just didn't get back to where they had been before I passed Lake
Panasoffkee. I found good lift over the Dunnellon airfield, but our course was 8
km to the east of it. I didn't mind, but assumed that the south wind would show
up. It never did.

Larry had landed at Williston and John was high there and heading north. I
worked more weak lift from low and not finding much finally landed 20 km south
of Williston. John turned around 20 kilometers north of Williston and landed
back with Larry. We all got home safe.

Sara Weaver may have set her personal best once again. Now on her own.

Now, two days of light winds.