Carrying cargo is very, very different. America's Cup racers are very light. It's a mistake to apply that technology in a 1-to-1 fashion for large sailing vesse

Carrying cargo is very, very different. America's Cup racers are very light. It's a mistake to apply that technology in a 1-to-1 fashion for large sailing vessels. The boat the America's Cup is named after--"America," natch--crossed the Atlantic for her race. The current America's Cup boats are no good for ocean crossing. For one, there's no room. But the real problems are that the materials are so specific, so complicated, any kind of problem and you're stuck. A canvas sail can be repaired at sea. The weird composite stuff used in AC sails are not quite so resilient. I appreciate the enthusiasm of the modern AC teams (hi Larry!), but these are not good boats. A good boat takes care of her crew. An AC racer will hurt or kill you in a heartbeat if you are not 100% on the ball. That said, some of the wing sail designs may be adaptable with the right materials.