I've done racing too, taking home a good variety of trinkets! Cruising is a different game. My cruising has been local coastal stuff involving one (at most two) nights at sea. When cruising, you really don't want to go upwind. Helped bring a boat back from Bermuda and after 3 days on port tack, you start to develop one short leg! Weather legs are hard on the boat and harder on the crew.
The book 'Cruising Routes of the World' is oriented to time your passages so they're off the wind and avoid stormy seasons. Do you intend doing long distance trade wind crossings? Some friends did this (Round the World thing) and started off as a couple, but found the routine very demanding and tiring. Their later legs were done as a trio with a pickup crew member.
For cruising, I'd suggest you give boat speed low priority. The boat will get you there. Think crew comfort - sleeping well and being able to work in the galley become much more important than an extra knot. Boats that look fast (fin keel, spade rudder) will slow down a LOT when you move another ton of provisions aboard.
So what are your plans? Rather than ask if you have a Code 0, I'd be more interested in whether you have solar refrigeration and a water maker.