Not to detract from Dave's artistic expressions, but here's a short description for Robin (disclaimer: I don't know your background, excuse me if I speak below or above you)
The glass/resin layers provide tremendous tensile strength, minor compressive strength. When a load is applied to the hull from the outside, as when riding up over a rock or log, each surface of the hull sees a different type of load.
The outside experiences a compressive load,
the inside experiences a tensile load,
the wood in between sees a shear load.
The inside of the hull deforms and tries to stretch, while the outside tries to accommodate.
As long as the wood does not fail in shear, all is good.
For all of the above to play well together requires a good bond between the glass and the wood, thankfully epoxy resin is a great adhesive.
For a given layup, the hull strength is a function of the geometry and the individual contributions of the resin and glass.
For a simple composite beam, if you double the width of the beam, you double the strength, a linear relationship.
A simply supported composite beam that is twice as long as another, will be 4 times weaker, an inverse square relationship.
That same simply supported composite beam, if made twice as thick, will be 8 times stronger, a cubic relationship.
So, it follows, put the strongest glass on the inside, and make the hull a bit thicker if you need high strength.
Ignoring geometry (curved vs flat surfaces) everything else is a matter of aesthetics and abrasion resistance.
Lastly,
Dave, it's looking great!! Nice patterns...