The weather forecast for the day:

2017 Green Swamp Sport Klassic, Sunday, March 26th

National Weather Service forecast:

A 20 percent chance of showers after 3pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.
East wind 5 to 10 mph.

RAP forecast

2 PM

700 - 1,100 fpm lift

6,000' - 8,000' top of lift

5,000' - 7,000' cloudbase

5 mph east wind at 2,000'

5 mph east wind at 30'

5 PM

400 - 600 fpm lift

7,000' - 8,000' top of lift

7,000'- 8,000' cloudbase

6 mph east northeast wind at 2,000'

Op40 at 2 PM shows moderate inversion at 6,800', cumulus clouds at 6,100',
plenty of dry air above the inversion, 45 degrees at 6,100', East wind 5 mph, no
cu-nimbs.

https://airtribune.com/2017-green-swamp-sport-klassic/results

With the promise of a sky full of cu's and an east wind we headed
west northwest with a turnpoint near highway 301 and then to the Inverness
airport. Launch was probably the most efficient ever in an aerotow competition
for a first day with five tugs for twenty nine pilots and mentors herding their
mentees. Almost everyone was completely ready and on the carts in advance.

Saw 1,200 fpm at 900' on tow right at the south end of the runway. Pinned off at
1,500' and found 600 fpm to cloudbase at 4,900'. My mentees had just been pulled
up in front of me and two of the three climbed together with me and we and got
to cloudbase at the same time.

Sara Weaver who was the first to launch in our team which was the third group to
launch was already north a few kilometers and reporting going up. We three
headed north or so I thought I saw, but I immediately lost track of them. Sara
was soon low and struggled low for ever as I froze at cloudbase trying to find
my other mentees while I kept an eye on her.

Pilots struggled further to the west and most went down early although a few
made it to goal along with a couple of mentors.

While it was difficult for pilots it was a great day with a high cloudbase and
strong lift.