In her presidential address at the Institution's annual general meeting on 21st March, Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, called attention to the remark- able changes which have taken place during her presidency.

It was, in fact, 25 years ago that Princess Marina succeeded her late husband as the Institution's President. As she pointed out, the first life-boat she named, which was stationed at Bridlington, was one of the old 35-foot 6-inch self- righting class, a type of life-boat which is no longer in the service. The last life- boat she named was the yo-foot steel life-boat now doing duty in the Bristol Channel. On the occasion of the anniversary the Committee of Management decided to present the Institution's gold medal to Her Royal Highness.

Princess Marina paid an informal visit to Life-Boat House on nth April. On the 11th July a reception is being held at St. James' Palace which will be attended by life-boat workers from all parts of the country. On 26th July Princess Marina is naming the new life-boat at Dover. This is one of the 44-foot steel type and is the gift of the Ancient Order of Foresters.

INTERNATIONAL LIFE-BOAT CONFERENCE Three of the Institution's newest life-boats and a fast experimental rescue craft were shown to delegates from life-boat societies in all parts of the world at the International Conference which was held in Dinard and St. Malo from 5/9th June. The boats were the first of the yo-foot steel life-boats, the 48-foot 6-inch Oakley life-boat, which will later be stationed at Trevose Head, the 44-foot steel life-boat, whose station is Gorleston, and a 18-foot Hatch boat.

The Institution's delegation was led by the Chairman, Captain the Hon.

V. M. Wyndham-Quin.

GERMAN LIFE-BOAT DISASTER It is with deep regret that we have to announce a disaster in which the whole crew of four of the German rescue cruiser Adolph Bermpohl lost their lives on 23rd February.

The rescue cruiser put out to the help of a Dutch fishing boat, which had three men on board, in extremely severe conditions with winds approaching hurricane force. By the use of the daughter boat, which is carried on board, the three men were taken off the casualty north east of Heligoland. The rescue cruiser and the daughter boat both attempted to return to their Heligoland station, and it is believed that when an attempt was made to take the rescued people, who must have been suffering from cold and exhaustion, aboard the rescue cruiser a heavy swell struck the Adolph Bermpohl. The three Dutch fishermen also lost their lives.

ANOTHER EXPERIMENTAL CRAFT The second of two experimental fast rescue craft has now been completed. It has been designed to serve a function similar to that intended for the Hatch boat, which was described in the last number of THE LIFE-BOAT. Both boats could act as independent rescue craft and could also be used to take crews from the shore to life-boats which lie afloat.

The designer of the second boat, Mr. J. A. McLachlan, M.R.I.N.A., who is a member of a Glasgow firm, Messrs. G. L. Watson & Co., was formerly a member of the Institution's staff. Rigorous evaluation and comparison trials of the Hatch boat and McLachlan boat are being carried out and will continue for a consider- able time before a final design is decided upon. These are being conducted in the main off Cowes, where the Institution has now established a centre for the maintenance, testing and development of various types of inshore rescue craft.

Mr. P. A. Rakestrow is in charge of the centre. A description of the McLachlan boat appears on page 81.

CHANGES IN THE LONDON DISTRICT With the object of increasing revenue from the Greater London area the Institution has decided to divide the London district into separate parts. Miss Rhona Muirhead, who has been district organizing secretary for London for the past 14 years, will be responsible for the area south of the Thames, and Mr.

J. R. F. Sims, who has been a member of the Institution's technical staff for the past 22 years, has been appointed organizing secretary for the area north of the Thames.

Mr. H. J. Berry will be responsible for both the City of London and the City of Westminster.

Commander E. W. Middleton, V.R.D., R.N.V.R., who formerly held the posts of District Inspector of life-boats, Assistant Chief Inspector, and Superinten- dent of Depot and who retired from the service of the Institution in December 1964, has returned for a short period to co-ordinate the work of money-raising throughout the Greater London area.

TRANSPORT PROBLEMS Transport problems and the density of traffic in the London area have made the task of servicing it from one central point excessively difficult, and although there are a large number of London branches whose support of the service has been and continues to be magnificent, there are still parts of London from which the revenue obtained is less than might be expected.

With the cost of the life-boat service rising steadily the Committee of Manage- ment feel that a concentrated attempt must be made to solicit more support from these areas.