Oracle Team USA, the defender of the America’s Cup, will launch a second foiling, wing-sail 45ft prototype catamaran in local waters this summer.

Grant Simmer, Oracle’s general manager, said the new prototype boat will be more advanced than the team’s 45ft foiler already based in Dockyard. It is expected to arrive in August and be ready to start sea trials in September.

“We have just finished building another boat, sister ship of the boat we have been sailing, with some enhancements,” the three-times America’s Cup winner said.

“Most of that boat was built in New Zealand and it will be here mid-August and then it takes us about three weeks to do the final preparation and systems tests to get that boat sailing.

“Early in September we will be sailing both boats here, so we have been preparing and training our sailing team to be capable of sailing two boats.”

Simmer, who competed with and against Sir Russell Coutts, the Oracle chief executive, at America’s Cup level, said sailing and maintaining Oracle’s fleet of wing-sail, foiling catamarans is a huge undertaking.

“It’s quite a big logistical exercise to sail two of these boats, not just on the water, but maintaining them, preparing them and keeping them reliable enough where you can get some good efficiency out of the sailing,” he added.

Oracle launched the first America’s Cup class catamaran in Bermuda in May and were soon followed by Artemis Racing, the Swedish America’s Cup challenger, who are the first challenger to launch an AC45 on these shores.

“It’s been a real bonus having Artemis here at the same time,” Simmer said. “So having the ability to line up with another good quality team like Artemis has been fantastic.

“We are not actually racing but lining up together and sailing in sort of a choreographed fashion that’s just been a real bonus and we have a great relationship with that team.

“I think both Artemis and ourselves are getting a lot stronger because of that relationship.”