| Perhaps you had not seen the recent accomplishment, | | | | synonymous if we look at some of the craft that |
| but a very large cargo ship has used a sail to assist it | | | | compete in the Sailing World's most prestigious cups. |
| in crossing the ocean. Should we be surprised? | | | | So, will these high tech sails also be used in the sport |
| Probably not, as the 500-foot Flag Ships of the | | | | of sail boat racing? Sure they will, but what they learn |
| Chinese Treasure Fleets had accomplished this feat in | | | | from racing and pushing the limits will ultimately be used |
| the 1300s. Nevertheless, a full size cargo ship weighing | | | | to deliver the goods by way of cargo ship. |
| 1000s of tons has not proved that utilizing sails can | | | | Saving fuel and increasing efficiency are very |
| assist in efficiency. Indeed, this trend will be very | | | | important to trade and the shipping industry. Imagine |
| valuable as the price of fuel goes up, but the sails will | | | | giant cargo ships filled with cargo boxes or giant oil |
| have to be much stronger in nature. | | | | tankers with giant sails attached, which increase their |
| One thought is that the sails will be made of carbon | | | | speed and save 100s of 1000s of gallons of fuel per |
| nano-tubes with grapheme coatings, lightweight, | | | | drip. It makes sense and this is why such technologies |
| ultra-thin and able to pull the weight without ripping to | | | | have caught the eye of the cargo shipping industry. |
| shreds. High tech and sailing are practically | | | | Looks like Sailing just got a whole lot bigger. |