Team New Zealand's radical AC75 boat has been seen in action for the first time in its natural habitat.
On Tuesday, Sailing Illustrated captured the new monohull being towed on Auckland's Waitemata Harbour in its first full foiling session.
Officially christened "The Dolphin' in an unveiling ceremony on Friday, Team NZ promise that the revolutionary design will push the boundaries of speed to a whole new level in their 2021 defence.
Needing more than 10,000 man hours to design, the 23-metre vessel will hold 11 crew members and is expected to be faster than the catamarans used in Bermuda in 2017, when Team NZ beat Oracle 7-1 to recapture the 'Auld Mug'.
With a second boat already in the works, they now look ahead to the America's Cup world series in April in Sardinia, which will provide a vital opportunity for them to test and make any necessary tweaks.
The American boat - yet to be named - was also seen testing out on the harbour with a tow boat.
Newshub.
