This is the new look for Emirates Team New Zealand’s AC45 catamaran. With a bright red wing sail and the traditional black hull, the yacht has the New Zealand flag on each of the bows. The boat will be used in America’s Cup World Series events (three regattas are scheduled for this year, and seven in 2012).

The AC45 wing-sailed catamaran is now designated as the boat of the America’s Cup World Series. Read previous story here.

 The opening AC World Series event begins in just two months time in Cascais, Portugal. Plymouth and San Diego, California are also ports of call in 2011.

If you’re fortunate enough to be there in person, racing is planned to take place just metres from the shoreline. Plus, major advances in television and web coverage – tested during trials in Auckland – should mean watching the America’s Cup has never been more compelling. 

You will see and hear all of the action from multiple angles on board the boats, and revolutionary graphics technology will make the fast-paced action easy to understand.

New video from the New Zealand test sessions:

The race format and scoring for the 2011 AC World Series have now been announced. The format will include a combination of fleet and match racing. Winners for fleet and match racing as well as an overall winner will be determined on the final day of each regatta.

Teams are now working on design for the AC 72, the catamarans that will be raced in the Louis Vuitton Cup and America’s Cup regattas at San Francisco. Each team can build two AC 72s, the first due to be launched next year.