I think the Americas Cup designers and designers of other high performance vessels would be most interested in this. Of note is that the birds studied were all soaring birds with high aspect ratio wings, so I wonder if that also had anything to do with the results. I know what they mean though about the black creating more lift. I have a black cat and during the summer when she is out in the sun her fur becomes almost too hot to touch, so that must create a small area of thermal uprising. If she wasn't so round she might start levitating, nothing high aspect ratio about her.

This could help explain why Zebedee has become such a hot machine, with her improved rudder and black sails she has developed sparkling performance!