DINARD and St. Malo provided the setting for the tenth international life-boat conference, which was held from 5~8th June, 1967. This was the second occasion on which the French have acted as hosts, the earlier occasion being that of the second international conference, which was held in Paris in 1928. The organizing body was the Societe Centrale de Sauvetage des Naufrages and the chairman of the conference sessions was its president, Vice-Admiral d'Harcourt. Sixteen delegations took part. The conference was formally opened by the Secretary General of the French Mercantile Marine, M. Morin.

In addition to the French and the delegation from the R.N.L.I. and H.M.

Coastguard 10 European countries and four countries outside Europe were represented. The countries outside Europe were Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the United States of America. The other European countries were Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the German Federal Republic, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and the U.S.S.R.

THE LATEST CRAFT Four of the R.N.L.I.'s latest rescue craft made the journey, arriving in St.

Malo together. They were the yo-foot steel life-boat Charles H, Barrett (Civil Service No. 55), which has been operating in the Bristol Channel area; the 48-foot6-inch Oakley life-boat, which has been built for the new life-boat station at Trevose Head, Padstow; the 44-foot Gorleston and Great Yarmouth life-boat Khami; and an 18-foot Hatch boat.

Rescue craft from five other countries were also present. These were the Norwegian rescue cruiser Ambassador Bay and new Dutch, German, and Swedish life-boats. The Dutch boat was the 21-metre Breskens life-boat namedjavazee of the South Holland Life-boat Society. The Germans showed a beach boat named Paul Denker which is equipped with a daughter boat and whose station is Maasholm. The Swedish life-boat Dan Brostrom is a 23.8 metre cruising life- boat built for the west coast of Sweden. The life-boat from the French station at St. Servan was also present.

Commander F. R. H. Swann, O.B.E., R.N.V.R., Deputy Chairman, led the British delegation, and Lieut.-Commander the Hon. Greville Howard, V.R.D., R.N.R., also represented the Committee of Management. In addition to the Secretary, Mr. Stirling Whorlow, O.B.E., and the Chief Inspector of Life-boats, Lieut.-Commander W. L. G. Dutton, R.D., R.N.R., there were other senior officials of the Institution and Commander P. J. H. Bartlett, O.B.E., R.N. (Retd.), of H.M. Coastguard.

EIGHT PAPERS Eight papers were submitted by the R.N.L.I. delegation. One by the Secretary was on fund raising and publicity for a voluntary society. Others described the four rescue vessels which were exhibited, and there were also papers on the development of electronics in the life-boat service, on inflatable boats and on life-jackets and protective clothing.

The rescue vessels shown to the delegates by other nations were also described in papers submitted. In addition, the United States Coast Guard submitted papers on the Coast Guard Auxiliary, on search and rescue operations in coastal areas, on helicopters, and on equipment for coastal search and rescue. Like some of the R.N.L.I. papers, these were supported by films.

The Swedish Life-boat Society submitted papers on the Geneva Maritime Convention and on proposals for an international sea rescue service. Japanese papers were on automatic distress signal transmitter and direction finding stations, on rescue activity in Japanese waters, on ships' boats for tankers and on a disastrous fire which took place on board a Norwegian tanker in Japan. The Norwegian delegation produced a paper illustrated with slides on the Decca navigation chain; the North and South Holland Society on fast life-boats; the Icelandic Society on helicopter activity and mobile rescue squads; and the Fin- nish Society on safeguarding life at sea and voluntary rescue and search flotillas.

The delegates were privileged to enjoy warm hospitality both from the host society and from the municipalities of Dinard and St. Malo. On 9th June all the rescue craft exhibited left in company for Jersey, where the delegates and crews Continued on page 204.were entertained to a reception by the Lieutenant Governor of Jersey, Vice- Admiral Sir Michael Villiers, K.C.B., O.B.E., and then to a luncheon by the States of Jersey and a tea party at the yacht club. The Jersey life-boat put out to meet the fleet arriving from St. Malo. A visit to St. Malo was also paid by the St. Peter Port life-boat.

In the course of the conference it was agreed that the eleventh international life-boat conference would be held either in the United States of America or in the Netherlands..