Reports recently published are the BMF’s Key Performance Indicators report 2010/11 and Marine Industry Trends report November 2011.

Headlines from the Key Performance Indicators 2010/11 report include:

• Total revenue of the UK leisure, superyacht & small commercial marine industry was £2.901 billion (-2.1% from 2009/10)
• Value added contribution, the principal measure of national economic benefit, was £906.1 million, 31.2% of revenue (-3.0% from 2009/10)
• International trade was £1.073 billion, 37% of the total revenue (-6.6% from 2009/10)
• Full time equivalent (FTE) UK employees c. 31,300 across the industry (-2.7% from 2009/10)
• UK businesses c. 4,200

The latest Marine Industry Trends survey (May-November 2011) shows there has been a slight decrease in business performance trends from the last survey, most notably in the export market, following a period of consistency through 2010 and the first half of 2011. This is completely in line with the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the whole of the UK. When asked spontaneously what major problems they are currently facing, BMF members’ responses were dominated by the general economy, particularly the recent Eurozone issues.

Headlines include:-
• Level of marine business activity over the last six months: reported to have increased for 31% of members while 31% report it has decreased (net balance of 0%).
• Future business prospects: 29% state they expect the next 6 months to be good/excellent, 49% believe it will be ok and 22% poor

”While times are undoubtedly still hard, the marine industry is not cowed, and continues to innovate and develop world-leading products and services,” said Rob Stevens, Chief Executive of the BMF.

“By taking tough decisions now, as in the last few years, many businesses have ensured that they are in a position to weather the financial storm and emerge leaner and stronger as prospects improve. Additionally our industry understands that the world has changed and companies are evolving and developing their offering to meet current and future market needs with a view to growing the global market share.”

This is the first year an Overall Winner of the Pittman Awards has been selected. The judging panel recognised that the SafeLink R10 was “the perfect man-overboard product” and commented on how the integration of AIS and GPS in to a personal distress beacon is a significant innovation in sailing safety. On this basis the panel agreed that the R10 topped a strong field of contenders.

Commenting on the win, Global Sales Director of McMurdo Ltd, Ross Wilkinson said, “We are honoured to receive this award and delighted that the SafeLink has been recognised for its innovation and technology within the marine safety sector.

“To be judged as the overall winner over a host of other remarkable new marine products is also a tremendous achievement and comfirms that our ambitions for the SafeLink R10 SRS to be the must-have breakthrough innovation device for every safety conscious sailor has been recognised by industry leaders.”

The SafeLink R10 SRS is a personal AIS (Automatic Identification System) device, designed to be worn by individuals and activated to aid location and recovery of persons in difficulty at sea. It is worn on a lifejacket and once activated sends structed alert messages, GPS position and a special identity code directly to AIS receivers providing fellow crew members with all the information they need to locate the person in difficulty and effect a speedy recovery, greatly increasing the chances of rescue.

The new e and c series take networking and integration to new levels, util ising the full power and capability of WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity.  The e7 was the world’s first 7” (17.78cm) MFD to provide networking with up to six displays plus accessories. With the new Raymarine Viewer App, e  and c series are able to stream live video direct to  Apple iPad (1&2) and iPhone (4 and above) in real time.  Simply put, with built-in WiFi connectivity the e  and c series screen display, whether showing navigation charts, thermal video, radar or sonar information, can be accessed from absolutely anywhere on-board via mobile iOS devices.

Thanks to Bluetooth connectivity the user has the ability to control the e and c series via an optional remote control unit – the RCU-3, which can be mounted on a boat’s steering wheel or used as an independent handheld device. Range in, range out, mark a waypoint, the RCU-3 remote controller gives access to frequently used functions whilst underway.  The RCU-3 also eliminates the need to expose mp3 devices to the elements, controlling audio playback remotely so that mp3 players can remain stowed away safely.       

Raymarine has developed a new user interface called Lighthouse, which brings familiar touchscreen navigation and customisation options together. This results in a highly intuitive and logical system that is both visually appealing and easy to navigate. Users are able to customise their e and c series easily and simply and navigation charts can be configured incredibly quickly. 

Three processors make the e and c series powerful multi-taskers; a dual core main processor and a third dedicated graphics processor give stunning 3D graphics, brilliant video and instantaneous chart redraws. 

Designed by mariners for mariners, the e and c series have super-bright LCD displays backlit with LEDs to improve overall power efficiency and provide maximum linear brightness control. The displays are transflective, further enhanced by a choice of colour palettes which allow for optimum use of available sunlight; saving even more power and energy. Displays also offer clear and consistent colour and contrast levels, even with changes to the viewing angle.

There are also e and c series specifically adapted for fishermen, incorporating built-in Clear Pulse sonar, targeting fish and depicting bottom contours and structure with amazing clarity. The e and c series can also be connected to thru-hull or in-hull transom transducers. e and c series have a 50 channel, high sensitivity internal GPS and are available with Navionics ready-to-navigate coastal or inland charts supplied on microSD cards.

For boat owners looking to upgrade to the new e and c series from C or E Classic or Wide displays, Raymarine has come up with a set of bezels and adaptor plates to make the dash/bulkhead install quick and easy; remove the older display, fit the appropriate adaptor plate (no need to drill new holes or make a new cut out), drop in the new e or c series, fit the mounting screws to the pre-drilled holes and clip on the new adaptor bezel. A neat and stylish way to upgrade with no need to change your dash or display mount.

 Available from  March 2012 prices are;

B&G will provide the 8-inch Zeus multifunction chartplotter specifically developed for sailing boats, along with the new Triton instrument system and the latest zero-emission Broadband 4G™ Radar. The equipment will be installed on a Redbay Stormforce 8.4m RIB powered by a Yamaha F300 outboard and the craft will be operational by early February.

Based at the team facility in Portland Marina, the RIB will act as an on-the-water hub for Skandia Team GBR’s preparations and will play a key role in race training, communications, monitoring weather conditions, rest and rehydration in the summer and towing duties when required.

 “Our selection of B&G was based on their leadership in yacht racing instrumentation and the assistance that their advanced products can give us with our coaching and programme to maximise team performance,” said Stephen Park of Skandia Team GBR.

 “The Zeus and Triton system is so easy to use, but also has advanced capabilities such as the downloading and analysis of GRIB weather files and the ability to display wind plots showing recent fluctuations in wind speed and direction over a selected time period.  These will help Skandia Team GBR get the most out of their training sessions,” added George Pollard, UK Managing Director, B&G.  “We are delighted to be making such a contribution to the British sailing team in their quest to remain the world’s leading Olympic Classes sailing nation.”

The B&G system being supplied to Skandia Team GBR is similar to those already installed on the mark-laying and committee boats operated by the organisers of the 2012 Olympic Games, which were in action at a recent Games test event.

The award was a complete surprise for Jolyon, who had not even known he had been nominated for the prestigious award.  Rob Clay, Managing Director of TCS Chandlery, was one of the people who voted for Jolyon.  He said, “We voted for Jolyon because he is a true industry person.  He is totally likeable, genuine, and works with us to develop our business.  The support he provides is invaluable and his knowledge outstanding.”

Jolyon has worked in the marine industry for over 25 years.   Initially working for eight years in a chandlery in Plymouth, he moved to Simpson and Lawrence as an electronics specialist.  After five years in that role he moved to Raymarine.  Initially the UK Area Manager, he has worked at Raymarine in export sales, and is now the UK Retail and RIB OEM Sales Manager.

Jolyon received his award to cheers of delight from the packed audience of fellow marine industry colleagues.  “I was totally surprised to hear my name being read out,” he said.  “I had no idea I had even been nominated.  It’s a wonderful accolade to receive this award and I’m absolutely delighted.”

Accompanying the launch of Icom’s IC-M91D is the IC-M423, our next generation VHF/DSC. The IC-M423 together with its optional HM-195 COMMANDMIC benefits from a new user interface which makes driving this Icom fixed mount incredibly simple. A compact radio that will fit easily into any console, size does not mean a loss of performance. Boasting and packing a proverbial punch with its audio of 10W from its loud speaker makes sure you will clearly hear calls. The IC-M423 also has a Public Address & Fog Horn function so when attached to a hailer horn will expand the usefulness of this new radio.

The IC-M423 has an easy to use interface that will be incorporated into future Icom radios. The common Marine Family User Interface provides simple operation for the boat owner. A rotary selector, directional keypad provides intuitive operation. The high definition dot matrix display allows all information to be clearly viewed.

Another common feature that the IC-M423 shares with the IC-M91 is the use of Active Noise Cancelling Technology. The intelligent electronics featured in both radios will reduce background noise by up to 90% making you heard when you really need to such as when the weather conditions are poor or if engines are running.

A first for an Icom model this size, the IC-M423 can itself be remotely controlled by the optional COMMANDMIC. The HM-195 allows operation of all radio functions including DSC, radio, foghorn, hailer horn from the cockpit or fly bridge. The HM-195 also provides an intercom facility between itself and radio which is really useful for dual station control. The HM-195 utilises the same user Man Machine Interface used on the IC-M423 making control of the radio very straightforward.

The IC-M423 can be integrated with the Icom’s MA-500TR Class B AIS Transponder allowing you to transmit DSC individual calls to a selected vessel instantly without manual MMSI entry; very handy if you are waiting to contact vessels on the AIS screen, an essential safety feature in an emergency.

The IC-M423 will be available from Icom stockists at the start of the season with a target selling price of sub £299.95 inc.VAT.

Icom Marketing: marketing@icomuk.co.uk

Icom is launching their next generation of marine VHF models at the 2012 London Boatshow. Both the IC-M91D GPS Marine VHF/DSC Handheld and IC-M423 Compact Fixed Mount VHF/DSC models share a new common user interface and noise cancelling technology that are unequalled in VHF models today. Both models set a benchmark for all future Marine VHF radios.

The IC-M91D is Icom’s first marine handheld VHF with integrated DSC/GPS giving you the facility to send and receive DSC calls.

The integrated GPS provides another important benefit. The waypoint/compass function allows the boat owner to steer their way to waypoints within a route. A Man Over Board (MOB) function allows you to record time and position of the MOB just in case the worst ever happened. These features, dependant on the size of your vessel, could provide a central or back up navigation tool.

Obviously conditions at sea can vary considerably.  But in the worst weather conditions trying to listen to someone calling can be quite difficult.  The IC-M91D solves this problem twofold.  Firstly, featuring a loud 700mW internal speaker that will give extra clarity to those calls you receive.  Secondly it utilises Active Noise Cancelling Technology that uses a digital processor to reduce background noise by up to 90% making sure your call is clearly heard. 

Like its predecessors, the IC-M91D features Float’n Flash.  What this means is if the radio falls into the water, it will float on its back with the LCD, backlit keypad and distress button flashing, thus making the radio easier to retrieve.

The IC-M91D features a new generation MMI (Man Machine Interface) making the radio really easy to control.  Icom’s new common Marine User Interface, is the shape of things to come with all Icom DSC marine radios in the future providing simple operation for the user.  A directional keypad provides simple, intuitive operation. The high definition dot matrix display allows all information to be clearly displayed. 

Like all Icom marine models the IC-M91D comes with useful standard features onboard like Dual Watch /Tri-Watch.  The Aquaquake draining function emits a vibrating tone and clears water away from the speaker grill.  Like the rest of Icom’s range, this radio is ATIS Programmable. 

Although the radio is jam packed with features, it has excellent ergonomics ensuring it fits comfortably in the palm of your hand.  The radio is waterproof to IPX-7 and meets military specification of durability….this is a radio that will not let you down.

The IC-M91 will be available from Icom stockists at the start of the season with a target selling price of sub £349.95.

Icom Marketing: marketing@icomuk.co.uk

Whilst the use of PLBs has been permitted in maritime and aviation environments, OFCOM’s published regulations now permit the use of PLBs on land in the UK, which heralds huge progress for the safety of those taking part in outdoor activities around the country. It is recommended that anyone venturing in to remote areas where there are limited means of communication, whether that be on land or at sea, carries a PLB. In the event that the emergency services cannot be contacted via phone due to battery or signal strength, a PLB gives a direct method of alerting the search and rescue authorities, no matter how remote the location.

Commenting on the change in legislation, Ross Wilkinson, Global Sales Director of McMurdo Ltd said, “We have been campaigning for a number of years to permit the use of PLBs on land in the UK, which have been permitted for use in the maritime and aviation environments, as well as on land in numerous countries around the world for many years.

“The Fast Find 210 PLB has been instrumental in a vast number of documented rescues around the world from bear attacks in Alaska to climbers in New Zealand and rescues in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. In 2010 alone 2,338 people were rescued in 641 distress situations globally using information provided by the COSPAS SARSAT system*.

“This change in legislation is a real breakthrough in the safety of outdoor enthusiasts venturing in to remote areas of the UK. Thanks to the beacon’s 50-channel GPS, which gives precise location co-ordinates to the search and rescue services, the Fast Find takes the ‘search’ out of ‘search and rescue’ and will ultimately reduce costs to these emergency responders.”

McMurdo’s Fast Find 210 PLB is a powerful distress beacon, which operates on the global 406 MHz search and rescue satellite communication system, COSPAS SARSAT. The COSPAS SARSAT* system is a global goverment-controlled system which defines a common standard for search and rescue by satellites. As well as sending out a distress signal by satellite, the Fast Find PLB transmits a 121.5MHz homing signal, to enable search and rescue teams to home in on the beacon once in the vicinity. The Fast Find 210 PLB is subscritption free and does not rely on commercial call centres. It also has a 50-channel GPS to give precise location co-ordinates and make recovery speedier and more efficient. The location of a Fast Find 210 GPS PLB can be determined to a typical positional accuracy of +/- 62m (0.03 miles) within a few minutes of activation , making it a must have personal device for all safety-conscious sailors and outdoor enthusiasts.

The beacon is waterproof to 10 metres, will operate in temperatures as low as -20˚ and is small in size; weighing just 150g and measuring D 34mm x W 47mm x L 106mm making it easy to carry tucked in to a pocket or on a belt. Once activated, the Fast Find will transmit continuously for a minimum of 24 hours at a powerful 5 watt output and also features a LED flash light to assist with rescues at night or during limited visibility. The beacon is easy to activate with a simple three-stage activation function and contains a replaceable battery with 5 years storage life.

 The Fast Find PLB 210 is available with a retail price of £225 ex VAT. For further information and a list of stockists, visit www.fastfindplb.com.

Raymarine, the world’s leading manufacturer of marine electronics, safety and communication products will provide valuable support for this prestigious event.  Not only will Raymarine’s state- of-the-art technology be used by the race organisers for route planning, but the company will also be helping participants with special offers on the purchase of key navigation and safety equipment. Raymarine’s sales and technical team will be present with the Raymarine support trailer at the start and finish of the race, assisting with last minute technical enquiries. Raymarine will also be donating a variety of prizes for the winners and runners up on each of the 10 legs, and a prize for the overall sea race winner.

Hugo Ambrose, Director of RB12 says, “We are delighted to welcome Raymarine to our sponsor programme as the first of our Sea equipment suppliers. Their experience and expertise will be invaluable to our competitors”

Sarah Brooke, UK Sales and Marketing Executive at Raymarine, commented: “We are delighted to be the Navigation Partner for RB12 Sea and pleased that the organisers will be using Raymarine technology to plan the route and the legs.  Many of the boats competing will be relying on Raymarine to find the quickest, safest and shortest routes around Britain.  It’s a unique and fantastic event and we are thrilled to be involved.”                                                                                                              

RB12 is recognised by the UIM as a World Cup status event, and is being run under the auspices of the RYA, the national body for power boat racing.  The winner of the Sea race will also receive a £35,000 cash ‘purse’ as well as the prestigious Beaverbrook Round Britain Trophy, which will be presented by Lord Beaverbrook.  More details about the RB12 can be found at www.rb12.com

Visitors to the Lowrance stand (A126) will be able to try out the second generation of its top-of-the range HDS multifunction display family and see demonstrations of their faster processing speed and StructureMap™ view, a powerful, innovative tool that allows users to overlay StructureScan^® sonar images on a chart in real-time or to save images and review at leisure.

Alongside the many award-winning benefits of the popular HDS fishfinder/chartplotter series the new Gen2 models also bring double the memory and twice the processor speed of their predecessors, providing boaters with enhanced responsiveness, faster start-up, quick menu operation and lightning-fast chart panning and zooming speeds.

Also on show will be the new Mark-4 greyscale and Elite-4 colour series – a new line-up of compact, dual frequency fishfinders with DownScan Imaging™ (DSI) and fishfinder/chartplotter options. Easy to use and install, the new range is packed with fish-finding features for exceptional performance at affordable prices. 

The new models feature an incredibly bright LED-backlit, 3.5-inch display that provides exceptional visibility at wider viewing angles, as well as readability in all weather conditions, including direct sunlight.

The Lowrance Elite-4x DSI and Elite-4 DSI models feature award-winning DownScan Imaging™ technology that allows anglers to experience a new standard in fish finding with remarkable picture-like views of bottom structure, as well as thermoclines, baitfish and game fish. Providing crystal-clear underwater definition in shallow and deep, freshwater or saltwater, the Elite-4x DSI and Elite-4 DSI not only let users see vegetation and bottom structure more clearly, but also help anglers recognise variations in weed growth and bottom hardness.

With nine models in the range, recommended prices for Lowrance HDS Gen2 units start at £519.60 inc VAT for the HDS-5m and rise to £2,642.40 inc VAT for the HDS-10.

The Mark-4 and Elite-4 line consists of six models: the Elite-4x dual-frequency fishfinder, Elite-4x DSI DownScan Imaging fishfinder, Mark-4 fishfinder/chartplotter, Elite-4m chartplotter, Elite-4 fishfinder/chartplotter, and Elite-4 DSI DownScan Imaging fishfinder/chartplotter.  Available now, prices range from £148 to £305 ex VAT.

For more information on the Lowrance range of marine electronics, visit www.lowrance.com.

The AIS200N2NET boasts tri-output connectivity, the very latest AIS technology and offers unrivalled levels of reception and data connectivity.   The N2NET suffix is Digital Yacht’s certified implementation of the NMEA 2000 data standard.  It means easy plug ‘n play compatibility across electronic networks from a variety of manufacturers including Raymarine, Simrad, Lowrance, Garmin and Furuno – and indeed the AIS200N2NET is compatible with AIS ready plotters from all these brands.  In addition to NMEA 2000, it has dual NMEA 0183 as well as a USB PC output connection.

With the multi output capability, the AIS200N2NET can provide AIS feeds to multiple equipment at the same time which is ideal for larger and more complex installations. Once connected to a VHF antenna (via a splitter) or dedicated AIS antenna AIS targets within a range of up to 30-50nm will be displayed.  Interfacing and installation is simple and to top it all the AIS200N2NET supports all of the latest AIS message types including AIS SARTS, AtoNs and base stations.  It is also compatible with PC, MAC OS X and LINUX kernels since V2.4.20.

It is priced at £250.00 excluding VAT and will be launched at London Boat Show in January on stand B120.  For further information telephone +44 (0)117 955 4474, send an email to sales@digitalyacht.co.uk or visit www.digitalyacht.co.uk

One neat feature is a NMEA input capability which allows other compatible NMEA devices such as a GPS or instrument systems to feed data into the AIS100PRO and for all this data to be combined or “multiplexed” on to the AIS output.  This greatly simplifies interfacing issues on some systems with a limited number of connections.

Like all AIS products, it does require a VHF antenna or suitable VHF-AIS splitter to allow the main VHF antenna to be shared across both systems.  Digital Yacht always recommend a dedicated AIS tuned antenna for the best performance as even good quality splitters will have some loss and also prevent AIS target reception when transmitting on the VHF.

It is priced at £150.00 excluding VAT and will be launched at the London Boat Show in January on stand B120.  For further information telephone +44 (0)117 955 4474, send an email to sales@digitalyacht.co.uk or visit www.digitalyacht.co.uk

 The AIS Life Guard is compatible with all Digital Yacht receivers and transponders and the new generation of AIS SARTS that have recently been approved for global use by the IMO.  It is priced at £199.95 excluding VAT and will be launched at the London Boat Show in January on stand B120.  For further information telephone +44 (0)117 955 4474, send an email to sales@digitalyacht.co.uk or visit www.digitalyacht.co.uk

The transatlantic rowers, Briton Tom Fancett and Dutchman Tom Sauer, were nine days into the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge, a 3,000 mile endurance rowing event from the Canary Islands to Barbados, when a freak wave struck their boat and caused it to capsize and sink.

The Falmouth Coastguard received the alert at 7:54pm on Tuesday 13th December, 480 miles South West of the Canary Islands from the UK registered McMurdo beacon, belonging to the Atlantic Challenge rowing boat PS Vita. The Falmouth Coast Guard broadcast an alert to all vessels in the area. Four vessels picked up the alert however approximately 120 miles from the location, and closest to the scene, was Crystal Serenity a Bahamian registered cruise ship which was en route to St Martin in the Caribbean from Tenerife.

The two rowers, who had spent at least 10 hours adrift in their tiny life raft before being saved, were rescued uninjured by the crew of Crystal Serenity in the early hours of the morning on Wednesday 14th December.

McMurdo offers a range of emergency location beacon products including EPIRBs, PLBs (Personal Location Beacons), SARTs, AIS Beacons, NAVTEX and VHF Radios – must-have devices for all safety-conscious sailors.

McMurdo’s range of EPIRBs are designed to alert search and rescue services in the event of an emergency by transmitting a coded message on the 406 MHz distress frequency. The G5 Smartfind EPIRB also includes a GPS receiver ensuring that the exact position of a casualty is relayed to the rescue services.

For further information on McMurdo’s range of safety and emergency location beacon products, visit www.mcmurdo.co.uk.

Marine Electronic Services is located in Bristol and Poole, whilst Cactus operates from London and Plymouth.  Both are well established names in the sector and provide a complete sales, installation and support package to over 80,000 customers.  Also included in the sale is the trade distributor, Navigate Marine Distribution and Raydirect, which is an internet business.

The new holding company, called Cactus 020 Ltd, is headed up by Andrew Smythe who was a director of the previous business and remains an equity partner in the new venture.

“Adjusting to the rapidly changing business environment and providing a better service to our customers is a driving factor for the sale.  Now we have the resources and expertise of Vigo on board,  we can adapt to the changing market and drive the company forward with a series of radical plans that include a total restructure of the supply chain, further acquisitions and a move into the outdoor leisure, diving and fishing markets,” commented Andrew Smythe.

Cactus 020 is projecting revenues of over $10m this year and will be at the 2012 Tullett Prebon London Boat show from Friday 6 – Sunday 15 January 2012.  There will also be a press launch for the new business at 1:30pm on Friday 6th January 2012 at the London Boat Show on stand B120.

The Lifetime Battery Guarantee applies to BP-266 when purchased with IC-M23, BP-252 when purchased with IC-M35 and BP-245N when purchased with IC-M71 only at the London Boatshow 2012 between 6th January 2012 and 15th January 2012. For full details including terms and conditions, please visit Icom UK’s stand B112.

So if you are thinking of buying a Handheld next year, purchase your Icom radio from an authorised Icom reseller at the show and receive full peace of mind!

Also at the show

Icom UK will be continuing its promotion of the RNLI Ambassador Scheme and will be working to promote the RNLI’s membership through selected marine radio communication products. To this end, Icom will be offering a year’s introductory membership with the purchase of an IC-M71 VHF, IC-M505, IC-M603 VHF/DSC Marine Transceiver and MA-500TR Class B AIS Transponder.   Whatever your marine interest, you can see our award winning marine radio range, suitable for any marine communication requirement. The wide range includes buoyant handheld VHF’s, VHF/DSC fixed radios, HF/SSB radios, AIS receivers, marine base stations and licence free walkie talkies.

You can buy Icom products from the many dealers at the show who will be fully stocked with our range of marine radio products and latest offers. For up to the minute Icom news at the show, please stay tuned to this website.

SPECIAL OFFER – £12.00 ticket to the 2012 Tullett Prebon London Boat Show

As an Icom customer you can buy your London Boatshow ticket for just £12 saving £8 on the door price by clicking on this link £12 London Boat Show tickets.