Generally, the "new" look is more "polished" than the previous website. It's a good improvement overall. The colors don't bother me. In fact I rather like a dull yellow or green background as opposed to white--I actually find it EASIER on the eyes.
One issue, regarding the forums--
At 800 x 600 res the "bars" up top take up no less than half the screen. Even at 1024 x 768 res it takes up a considerable amount of space. While the "dull yellow" bar may be needed for banner space, the "AH2 / burning plane" bar is NOT necessary when viewing the forum, and that section takes up the most space. Remove it when viewing forums, plane performance charts, etc.
J_A_B