I've not "built" one but have sailed some for many years. Are you looking at hull design or other elements? There are many schools of thought but they all come down to the same principles in sailing. Basically how far can you pull ( as in the sail providing lift) a hull forward vs how much you push or slide the hull sideways, it's kind of like the sink rate on an airfoil.. and it is a trade off... you can make a hull that is very resistant to sliding, but it will have much more drag ( due to shape or surface area) or you can design a hull to go forward with little resistance, ( due to shape or surface area) but it will slide more. Hobie 16 hulls are not symmetrical but Hobie 17 hulls are and that is why they have daggarboards.
Mark