Boats, marine and boating trends

American Boat & Yacht Council to Host First International Marine Standards Summit and ISO Plenary Session in Annapolis, MD

March 9, 2006, Edgewater, MD: The (ABYC) will sponsor the first International Marine Standards Summit on May 9, 2006 in conjunction with hosting the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee (TC) 188 Plenary Session on May 11, 2006. Both events will be held at the Loews Annapolis Hotel in Annapolis, MD.The initial summit is designed to bring representatives from the global boating standards organizations (United States, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and others) together to:

* Identify the markets represented;
* Identify the applicable standards and/or regulations for those markets;
* Discuss current and future regulatory or standards projects for these markets;
* Discuss issues hindering "reciprocity" and "harmonization" among these markets; and
* Develop a contact list for information and future discussions.

In addition to holding the standards summit, ABYC will be the host organization for the annual ISO TC188 Plenary Session. ABYC represents the United States in TC188, which is the ISO technical committee that updates and maintains small craft standards. Each year the ISO TC188 participants gather in a different location to review the past year's business and begin plans for the next year. Annapolis, MD was chosen because of its long-standing maritime heritage, emerging international maritime recognition and because it is where the ABYC headquarters is located. ISO TC188 working group and subcommittee meetings will also take place on Monday, May 8 and Wednesday, May 10, and draw technical experts from across the globe.

John Adey, ABYC Technical Director said, "By holding the first International Marine Standards Summit in conjunction with the ISO Plenary Session, we are confident the right mix of people and organizations from the global standards writing community will be on hand to participate. This summit will serve as a forum to discuss and address mutual issues surrounding boating safety and the import/export of marine products. I look forward to the outcomes, which are expected to have a positive impact on how the marine industry approaches standards writing, to include streamlining inter-organizational communication efforts to ensure we all stay current and informed about ongoing standards projects on a global level."

ABYC has been developing, writing and updating the safety standards for boat building and repair in the United States for over 50 years. ABYC is actively involved with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as well as certification programs for marine technicians. These standards are available on CD-ROM and in printed form. Membership and general information can be requested by calling (410) 956-1050 or by visiting the ABYC web site at www.abyinc.org.

Source: ABYC