Karl,

Aluminum foils do not survive long in salt water - no matter what the core. When the Corsair Sprint 750 appeared on the waterfront, Bob Hodges pointed out that they were subject to corrosion and fatigue.

During the 38 mile offshore race we had in 2009 for the Trimaran Nationals there were foil failures; however, they were due to the head design.

In the background, it was discovered that the rivets used in seaming the halves were becoming weak from wear, and the surface area was becoming contaminated via water absorption. The ultimate 'Fix' was to go composite, and that is what the top sailors did.

Now, let's go to curved foils for discussion... how many sailors are able to afford the cost of maintaining/replacing curved foils for an entire sailing year?