The Team New Zealand 72-foot AC72 America's Cup catamaran goes on show to the public on Auckland's waterfront on Saturday.

A 40-metre high, red wingsail was slotted into the boat's 22m-long and 14m-wide hull platform at the team's Auckland base on Wednesday.

It will be christened at a public ceremony in the Viaduct Harbour on Saturday evening.

The catamaran is the first of two Team NZ will build for the 2013 America's Cup.

It can only be sailed 30 days between launch and January 31.

America's Cup regattas traditionally use monohulls but the last race held in Valencia was a multi-hull duel between the US syndicate Oracle and Switzerland's defending champion Alinghi. It was won by Oracle.

The 72-footers will be used for the Louis Vuitton Cup for challengers and the America's Cup match, both to be held on San Francisco Bay in 2013.