There is no question that various hull shapes have various sailing characteristics and that some of them are real dogs. Commercial sailing vessels had various needs, depending upon their trade. ALMA and her ilk were cheaply built cargo vessels who carried goods from point A to point B. Their cargoes were not perishable so there were no time limits.

If you would like to see a more typical reconstruction [not replica] of a commercial vessel, watch Picton Castle during the show "Pirate Master" on CBS. She is not especially weatherly, in the sense of going to windward. Her spars and rig are not modern or lightweight. In many ways she is an anachronism, just as Clearwater and other replicraft are. PC was adapted from a diesel vessel [trawler, I believe] and rigged from scratch into a sailing vessel. She has done at least one circumnavigation, primarily under sail and is apparently seaworthy. I had the distinct pleasure (?) of watching her during a relatively early stage in the modifications while she was at South Street. I did not believe that they would do as well as they have.

If you run into Kari Sullivan, ask her about the first year or two.