Tjose tea clippers are amazing ships, the peak of sail boat engineering. And yes, that includes modern foils boats, as clippers are significantly larger. So yes, R&D would be limited. Building a modern version of a clipper so might be expensive. And then, well, those clippers were replaced quite early by steam powered ships tgat can only be called tiney and slow by modern standards. That, and they didn't even carry containers. But hey, maybe there is still some VC money to be grabbed through fancy renderings and pitch decks.
actually, sail boats and steam boats coexisted for many decades. Sail boats were used for grain and coal transport well into the 20th century, though as steam engine technology developed, on fewer and fewer routes. But it's only the internal combustion engine that made sail boats obsolete for shipping.
It's a great plaything though!
(Sent from my narrowboat)