first inflatables were introduced in 1962, particularly as regards floorboards and the construction and maintenance of the craft.

In 1968 the Institution commissioned the design of a fast rigid hull for inshore rescue.

The 18-foot McLachlan with ragged chines has proved successful. She is a good seaboat and has a speed of 22 knots with petrol engines, and 18j knots with diesel units. Seven have been built to date.

Considerable development of inflatables and semi-inflatables has been carried out at Atlantic College, on the north shore of the Bristol Channel, by the students under the direction of Rear-Admiral Desmond Hoare. The Institution has provided most of the finance for this development and has carried out the evaluation of prototypes.

It has now reached the stage where the Atlantic 21 is being produced for service. These boats, with a speed of about 28 knots, have a rigid bottom, the latest of which is of g.r.p. construction.

Nowadays, the Institution's inshore life-boats, of which 113 were in service last summer, are more active and save more lives than the conventional boats. Consequently developments are always in progress.

In addition to the developments in the design of boats the Institution has done a great deal to improve equipment and first aid and medical aspects also receive a great deal of attention.

With 21 life-boats building or on order and more to be ordered shortly, it will be appreciated, the R.N.L.I, is extremely busy.

Developing a fast boat of say 20 knots has taken longer than originally hoped, but it is now well on the way to fulfilment with both the Arun class and the 50-foot steel boat. It will be interesting to see which most nearly meets the requirements when both are available for comparative evaluation next year.

Unfortunately the geography of the British Isles, with the paucity of good harbours, means slipway and carriage launching has to continue.

It goes against the grain to continue building conventional life-boats of a basic design, which cannot be made to go faster, but it is necessary to replace the large number of non-self-righting life-boats in the fleet as soon as possible.

Nineteen-eighty is the target year for the completion of this programme..