First sail number issued for Team New Zealand

Team New Zealand's first boat for the 31st America's Cup will be known as NZL 81.

The boat is being built at Cookson Boats on Auckland's North Shore, and is expected to be launched in August.

All the syndicates challenging New Zealand have either launched their new boats or have them under construction.

That means the next international sail number, 82, will likely be issued for New Zealand's second boat, which will likely be launched in September.

The Mascalzone Latino campaign from Italy is expected to have just one boat, which was launched on May 4, but the 8 other syndicates have two boats each.

Under the rules governing the International America's Cup class (IACC) each syndicate can build no more than two boats.

During the last America's Cup, Team New Zealand sailed NZL57 and the eventual Cup winner, NZL60.

Team New Zealand first won the America's Cup in 1995 with NZL 32, after qualifying in the Louis Vuitton challenger series with NZL 38.

Sail numbers issued for the 2002-2003 America's Cup

SWE 63 Victory Challenge

SUI 64 Alingi

USA 65 One World

USA 66 Team Dennis Conner

USA 67 One World

GER 68 Illbruck

FRA 69 le Defi

GBR 70 GBR Challenge

USA 71 Oracle Racing

ITA 72 Mascaalzone

SWE 73 Victory Challenge

ITA 74 Prada

SUI 75 Alingi

USA 76 Oracle Racing

USA 77 Team Dennis Conner

GBR 78 GBR Challenge

FRA 79 le Defi

ITA 80 Prada

NZL 81 Team New Zealand