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This thread is probably heading to the Yacht Club.
That being said...
Post WW2 the US economy has driven up the the world economy. The problem now is that the US has been doing it on borrowed money for a bit too long.
Some of the sovereign lenders are now hedging their bets and converting their holdings. The US is not the world's economic engine, or at least not to the extent that it was in the 50s and 60s. Perhaps the current subprime situation was the result of a last kick at the can for a part of the American Dream.
Will things change? Of course they will. Will some of the manufacturers go down the tubes? Yes, and others will look outside for new markets and thrive.
Will sail assisted boats become the norm or even straight sail? Probably. Will they be built in the US? I don't know. Will alternative energy sources come in to play for the larger yachts? Yes, for a couple of good reasons, one of which has already been mentioned, public acceptability/public perception. Another reason is that if the technologies exist then there will always be an early adopter even if the cost is substantially higher than using current widely available means to achieve the same ends.
I noted the recent achievement of Nanosolar. They've hit a remarkable pricepoint in US$. Just think what that pricepoint translates in to when it's purchased with Euros or Yen.
Will some people walk away from their Toyota Tundras and Cadillac Escalades? Sure, but so what. If the banker that did the loan in the first place was an idiot for signing it off then so be it.
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