Loved your comments and observations kayakman. They seem to reflect our experiences here trying to break the speed limit with AI's and TI's.
I have had the AI hull planing a few times (broad reach in 20-30 knot winds) and can confirm a sudden sense of acceleration, as if a turbocharger kicked in. It has only happened riding the tramps or the Hakas, where I was far off the hull, laying wide and flat during a big gust. Never more than 10 seconds at a time, maybe 12 knots, but it felt amazing when things started to fly.
We can reach and exceed those speeds all the time running downwind in swells over 3 feet, or surfing moderate breaks. The waves and gravity provide the needed horsepower.
It's all too temporary. At around 14 knots, the hull overloads, buries the nose and loses effective rudder control. The fins have a hard time adjusting to these forces and they will introduce cavitation and drag, even when held close to the hull. They tend to break too.
On top of that, it's very hard to control a tri at an optimal surfing angle to the wave. The leading Ama will turn you sideways in a flash and the stern will broach, Far easier surfing with a monohull, or even an outrigger, I think.
But back to the mirage drive/dagger debate, I offer everyone this picture. It may be helpful to compare the drive and dagger profiles as you consider whether a set of fins can be effective against leeway.