Cats with Wings
 

I am looking at getting this Catamaran sailing boat (48') that has a Fixed wing on it. here is the story about it

Guess what? Harbor Wing Technologies, in collaboration with some of yachting’s most forward-thinking engineers, programmers and naval architects, is introducing one of the most stable, largest, greenest and user-friendly crafts afloat. Moving beyond the novel design and technology of the Maltese Falcon and its Falcon Rig of self-standing and rotating masts, Harbor Wing Technologies and Morrelli & Melvin are working on the plans for a range of WingSail® catamarans. All involved hope to see the 120 and 170-footers, currently on the drawing boards, by 2011. Equipped with Harbor Wing Technology’s Wing Sail, not only will they be large enough to host trade shows, they will be a showstoppers.
Spun from a way to efficiently and cost effectively patrol the Hawaiian National Marine Sanctuary, the collaboration’s solution can be applied to fleets of surveillance vessels, commercial delivery craft and the recreational market. The Wing Cat integrates breakthrough technologies in WingSail, hull, hydrofoil, data transmission, navigation and computer programming. A friendly user interface enables private yacht owners and crew to take advantage of technologies that otherwise would have been available only to the military. For the first time, a spacious, stable multihull with no rigging on deck, fewer crew, less crew fatigue and a whole lot more is available.
Just as on a powerboat, only one person is needed to take the helm, read instruments and steer a course on these winged cats. The computer programming takes the mystery out of trimming sails. No human interface is needed to constantly trim the sails. The WingSail’s computer’s load cells, anemometers and Internal Navigation Unit, “INU” inputs provide precise control and robotic responses that automatically depower the wing when wind velocity and sea conditions exceed the owner’s, captain’s and guests’ comfort levels, so if you don’t want to heel or fly a hull, you won’t. Additionally, Harbor Wing Technologies has developed a triple-redundant fully-maranized computer system similar to those used on commercial airliners of NASA space probes enabling the yacht’s systems to weather rouge waves and unexpected storm systems.
The ideal platform for the computer-controlled wing with tails that can be manually operated is a catamaran or a trimaran; providing stability, speed and space. The hulls, the salon and aft cockpit with its cabin top suitable for entertaining sightseers, sunbathers or really active guests, are spacious, regardless of where you are in the range. The plans for the hull of the 170-foot catamaran show two garages with workshop space and plenty of room to store 18-foot RIB’s; captain’s quarters with walk-in closets and en suite heads; crew lounges and cabins; laundry and six 200-square foot plus state rooms with private stairwells.
It comes as no surprise that this winged catamaran package is being considered by at least one group as a platform to host VIP and tradeshow events. “Whether at a dock or moving at 20-30 knots from port to port under wing power, this 170-foot winged catamaran packs pleasure, performance, utility and green technology into a vessel that can roam the ocean’s, moor off of St. Tropez or dock at Palm Island,” says Morrelli & Melvin’s Pete Melvin.

Does anyone else have any thoughts?

Ive been sailing for many years, and based on the fact that a sail is basically an airfoil, albeit a soft, flexible one, It sounds like a really neet idea and boat, sounds like it would be lots of fun....:cool:

This one?

Harbor Wing Technologies - Autonomous Unmanned Surface Vessel - AUSV