A SPECIAL REPORT: AMERICA’S CUP

BEFORE THE MAST: The U.S. entries this year have one thing in common: Their masts were built by a Santa Ana company, Sparcraft. . . . In the secretive world of championship yacht building, the situation provided some challenges. “We walk a thin line, but it’s a matter that’s based on trust,” says the firm’s Dave Hulse. The 110-foot masts run about $650,000 each and are made from carbon fiber, a composite material used in spacecraft. This is the first time the America’s Cup has allowed the material for mast construction.