( CNN ) -- How often do you see sports stars looking to the heavens in search of a little inspiration ? They might be on to something . That 's why the team hoping to build one of the fastest yachts on the planet is not looking to the water -- but to the sky . Or to be more precise , the giant passenger plane flying overhead . Oracle Team USA , the reigning America 's Cup champions , have revealed their unlikely `` secret weapon '' in the hugely prestigious sailing race is Airbus . The aviation giant has partnered with billionaire businessman Larry Ellison 's sailing team to create what it hopes will be an unbeatable high-tech yacht in the next edition of the race in 2017 . But what does an airplane company know about boat design ? `` If you look at it closer , sailing and flying share a common DNA , '' said Airbus President and CEO , Fabrice BrÃ©gie . `` Look at the importance of wind forces on airplane wings , and wind forces on the sails of a boat . They even look alike . And the speeds in aviation and boating share the same unit -- the knot . '' Planes on water . Indeed , gone are the days of heavy wooden yachts with single hulls and white billowing sails . Today 's sleek carbon fiber multihulls are like airplanes on water , sitting high above the waves , with crew members wearing wetsuits , carrying oxygen tanks , and communicating via radio . And much like aircraft , these feats of design have rigid sails , rather than conventional material ones . With competing teams spending tens of millions of dollars on their America 's Cup bids , Ellison -- a software entrepreneur with an estimated fortune of $ 48 billion -- will also be digging into his deep pockets to create a state-of-the-art yacht . `` The America 's Cup is a boat race , but the design technology and engineering are very often the winning factor , '' said team skipper Jimmy Spithill , who knows what he 's talking about -- he also has a pilot 's license . `` They 're as much like airplanes as they are like traditional boats , so I know we 'll have a lot to learn from the engineers at Airbus . '' Rule Britannia ? Watching developments closely will be the British challengers -- led by four-time Olympic gold medalist Ben Ainslie -- who earlier this year launched their $ 134 million bid alongside their own secret weapon -- the Duchess of Cambridge , Kate Middleton . A keen sailor herself , the Duchess went head-to-head against her husband Prince William in a yacht race during their recent tour of Australia and New Zealand -- emerging victorious 2-0 . It 's hoped she 'll not only pass on some of that winning spirit to Ainslie 's team , but also add the type of international luster so attractive to the world 's richest investors . In the 163 year history of the race , Britain has never won the prestigious silver trophy . Adding insult to injury , the first competition took place on its shores in 1851 . Where sky and sea meet . Back across the Atlantic , work has already begun collecting data on the Team USA boat , with over 300 on-board sensors providing real time information to a main server . Much like its planes , Airbus will be analyzing the data closely . `` When they get a brand new plane for the first time , they fly it and log hundreds and hundreds of variables , '' explained Oracle Team USA project manager , Ian Burns . `` They are testing it and trying to improve the airplane . '' he said . `` And this is exactly the same when we launch our boat and go sailing for the first time . '' Perhaps Airbus will also take away a thing or two from its new water-based collaboration . Already , the company has introduced a ridged texture much like shark 's skin on its plane 's wings , to improve air flow . The worlds of flight and sail are not so dissimilar as they might seem . And somewhere between sky and sea , the next America 's Cup will take place . Insight : Guts and glory -- 162 years of America 's Cup design . See : Daredevil photographer captures 'perfect shot '
Airbus partners with Team USA to create high-tech yacht . Part of Larry Ellison 's multimillion dollar America 's Cup bid . Modern airplanes and yachts have similar rigid wings and sails . Airbus also using shark-like skin on wings to improve air flow .