ICOMIA / IFBSO CONGRESS HELD IN AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND

This is the 40th Anniversary Year of ICOMIA’s formation. The Congress was hosted by the Marine Industry Association of New Zealand and supported by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. During the Congress, the Executive, Technical, Environment, Trade and Regulatory Affairs and External Affairs Committees met. A meeting was held to establish a Superyacht Division within ICOMIA for those MIAs that have super yacht members. This reflects ICOMIA’s increasing interests in this sector through its leading sector role in environmental matters, especially relating to paint, its membership of ISO TC8 SC 12 (Superyachts) and the UK MCA’s Committee of the Memorandum of Understanding on the “Internationalising of the Large Yacht Code”. It also collaborates very closely with the recently formed Super Yacht Builders’ Association (SYBAss). During the Congress, visits were organised to prominent New Zealand businesses in the Auckland area including Vaudrey Miller, Alloy Yachts International, High Modulus, NAVMAN, McDell Marine, Yachting Developments and Southern Spars. The recently ICOMIA developed Code of Excellence for Boat Shows which seeks to improve transparency and industry development was adopted unanimously by IFBSO for implementation. Mr Graeme Avers (AMIF – Australia) was re-elected as President of ICOMIA for his second year of office and Mr Lorenzo Selva (UCINA – Italy) and Mr Thom Dammrich (NMMA – USA) continue as Vice Presidents. Mr Peter Methven (BMF – UK) was elected to the ICOMIA Executive Committee replacing Mr David Lewin who retired, term expired. The following were also re-elected as Members of the Executive Committee: Mr Jouko Huju (Finnboat – Finland), Mme Annette Roux (ECNI – France), Mr Fritz Conyn (HISWA – NL), Mr Erlend Prytz (Norboat – Norway). Mr Bjorn Lagerkvist (Managing Director of SWEBOAT) who first joined the ICOMIA Executive Committee in 1976 and who has served three terms as ICOMIA President was elected as an Honorary Life Member of ICOMIA, only the second person to have been accorded that honour.