The Taipan 4.9 can be ordered to have a glass/kevlar hull skin. If memory serves me right this means that the sandwich construction from outside to inside is :

Gelcoat
Glass
Kevlar
Foam
Glass

You don't want Kevlar on the outside of the outer layer as well as it forms a vary rugged fluffy surface when is touches something abbresive. Glass wears down alot more smoothly.

The kevlar is only in the hulls to give it extra impact resistance. If makes the hulls alot harder to dent. It is not in there to improvement tensile strength or stiffness of the whole hull.

Wouter