You're right about it breaking the wood, but I think that that is also related to the quality and surface area of the glue joint. If you have glue contact that is only 1/32"-1/16" the glue joint won't hold as strongly as a glue joint with 5/16" of glue surface area, and you're much less likely to break the wood with a greater glue joint. The shape of the B+C with arcs v. straight lines is also a stronger shape than a straight line.

In the photos the engineers saw there were definitely poor glue joints, and the fractures were in places where it was clear people were putting their full weight on the hull. Yet, the hulls were dyed, so instead of a construction issue it as anecdotally attributed to the dye.

With regard to weight- i'm not as obsessed with light weight as many people. It's rocky where I paddle and I want a strong hull.

m