Older Classes With Modern Rigs

Anyone have experience with reinforced thermoplastics?

You are right Kevlar is a pretty awful fibre to have in a composite laminate on a boat due to the problems that you mentioned ( poor compressive strength, water uptake and “fluffing “ up when cut or sanded), but it does do one thing-it has a low density so it will increase the laminate thickness without too much weight increase which can, in itself , improve the impact resistance of the laminate compared to glass or even carbon . But I agree I would never put in a a marine laminate it is expensive and there are better ways of making a dinghy laminate.

Carbon fibre resists harness hooks punching holes in the deck better than ply, to that I can attest.

But to do the job properly I think I'd go for some sort of carbon kevlar weave.

People who want carbon fibre foam cored boats instead of glass and foam often overestimate the weight saving. Most dinghies are already at minimum skin weights for durability of the panel instead of strength. The use of carbon often is wasted as the loads are not high enough and the skin weight cant be dropped further due to lack of skin durability. Just means more money for the boat.

On bigger boats where the loads drive the skin weight and not the durability then it makes sense.

The good old days before beach re profiling and near vertical shingle walls after the odd storm or wind direction shift.

Ordinarily that's what happens you can get a fair way up before getting out, but not always.