I'm trying to remember a book I read a few years ago (although it is most likely much older), whereby a young woman is taking part in a yacht race around the Earth (or maybe the moon) using solar sails. While taking part in this race, she passes out and her body is used as an avatar for an alien race to communicate with Earth.
There may have also been a sub-plot involving a company building a huge structure that reaches out into the atmosphere so that ships and shuttles can be launched without first expending energy to escape the atmoshpere.
Thank you.