Rolf,

That's a great link - I've come to know and admire Phil's work although I hadn't heard of that project! (I thought the "Blade" was only an F16 project).

One design, class, or formula racing aside, what has modern construction methods done for me and my F18? I know Wouter built his own tortured ply F16 and I imagine it's competitive.

Is my boat that overbuilt?
Is the foam core molded construction cheaper to manufacture?
Does it yield a stiffer platform?
Does it last longer?

Perhaps it's in the economies of scale - foam core composite construction yields a more consistent and cost effective way to manufacture higher quantities of a hull. Complex shapes are easier to produce (Phil may argue that point). What do you think it is? Would it be more expensive to manufacture 20 tortured ply Tiapans or 20 molded composite versions?