Illusion sails at Cotswold Water Park

Paul Hadley's new Illusion, based in general terms on Matt Layden's Elusion, got under sail for the first time at the Home Built Boat Rally. One of the really nice things about the HBBR is the way members help each other out with advice and even bits of kit. Phil Oxborrow lent Paul the cut-down Mirror sail from his canoe Tonawanda, and to the surprise of both it fitted Illusion's mast perfectly.
She sailed well with a leeboard clamped onto the side with G-cramps.
Meanwhile, a Laser sailer demonstrated how to clean weed from the lake using the mast. There's a lot of algae round Hayling Island at the moment, so perhaps the competitors at the Laser World Masters being held there this week might do us a favour and clear some of it using this technique.