Escape hatch reinforcement upgrade

[simon]

My catamaran has an escape hatch that sits in the middle of a panel between two bulkheads. The panel is is about 1.5 x 1m. The cutout of the escape hatch seems to have weakened the panel, so that the fiberglass has delaminated along the seams of the cedar strips. The delaminations start at the edge of the escape hatch and reach the next bulkhead (except two had traveled further). There is no aparent reinforcement on the inside of the panel to cope with the big cutout.

What are my options to reinforce the hull, so that it is strong enough to take the pounding from the waves, as its location is under the bridgedeck on the inner topsides.
My yard neighbor told me about the possibility remove the core around the cutout and fill it with a laminated uniglass ring.
I was thinking about doubling the inside of the cutout with plywood and laminating onto the inside skin and wrapping glass around the cutout to the outside or versa.
I am planning to epoxy a new fiberglass layer(s), where the failed laminate was.
Does it make sense to add local reinforcement tapes, spreading out from the cutout into the panel?
Do I have bring my new laminate across the existing bulkheads so that there will be no stress-raiser and hinging, as two seams have failed on the other side of the bulkhead.

Thanks for the replies

Simon