Sailing: New York Yacht Club launch America's Cup test boat

American Magic launched their first test boat over the weekend. Photo / Facebook

The New York Yacht Club have officially hit the water, launching their 2021 America's Cup test boat on the weekend.

American Magic posted images on their Facebook page of the fully-foiling monohull test boat with four crew on board sailing in Rhode Island. Their release follows INEOS Team UK's launch in July.

The American prototype features noticeable differences to Team UK's smaller QUANT 23 test boat, such as separate areas for the helmsmen and crew on both sides of the yacht.

The U.S. Challenger hits the water! A few America's Cup developments today in Rhode Island. 🇺🇸✨

Posted by American Magic on Friday, 26 October 2018

American Magic have also opted for a cockpit layout, compared to the British team's open deck approach.

The high-performance monohulls are expected to be potentially faster than the catamarans sailed last year in Bermuda.

Team New Zealand and challenger of record Luna Rossa are yet to launch their first prototypes but are believed to have similar projects under way, with the permitted launch date for the first AC75 in just under five months.

It is believed that Team New Zealand are undergoing experimental work on a simulator - a similar approach to their lead up to the successful victory in Bermuda.