Committee of Management Commandant Vonla McBride, former director of the WRNS, Christopher Lucy, a stockbroker, and John James, a chartered surveyor, have joined the Committee of Management of the RNLI.

Commandant McBride joined the WRNS in 1949 and was director from 1976 to 1979. She was also appointed honorary ADC to the Queen in 1976.

Mr Lucy is a keen yachtsman and has considerable knowledge of the sea and marine engines.

Mr James is a senior vice president of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, a trustee of the Grosvenor Estate and a director of the Sun Alliance and London Insurance Group.

His hobby is sailing. His great uncle was harbour master and honorary secretary of the Poole lifeboat station for many years.

Services to cruising In its centenary year the Royal Cruising Club has presented its medal for services to cruising to the Institution, reserving this honour in such a special year for the lifeboat service because 'all members have a very special affection for the RNLT. The medal was presented to Rear Admiral W. J. Graham, director of the Institution, at the RCC's centenary dinner held in the Painted Hall, Greenwich, in May.

A day at the races The RNLI is to benefit from the 1980 Charity Race Day at Ascot on September 26 and has set a target of raising £100,000 from the event. All races have been sponsored and extra attractions will include a display by the Ladder Display Team of the Royal Navy before racing begins and a charity auction lunch, conducted by commentator Peter O'Sullevan. A Royal Marine Band will play throughout the afternoon.

Special group discount rates are being offered, boxes can be hired and the RNLI hopes that the seafaring and racegoing publics will join together in making the day on outstanding success.

Information from Ascot Charity Day, RNLI, 202 Lambeth Road, London SE1 (Tel. 01-9285742).

Mountbatten of Burma appeal The Mountbatten of Burma appeal which was launched one week before the tragic death of Lord Mountbatten passed its target of £100,000 to fund an RNLI Medina lifeboat early this year.

Since then a further £50,000 has been raised towards the cost of a second Medina to be known as Countess Mountbatten of Burma. The appeal closes at the end of September.

Lady Mountbatten became a vicepresident of the Ladies' Lifeboat Guild in 1925 and was elected president in 1944, a post she held at the time of her death.

Stena Line At the time of the naming of the Stena Line's second Seaspread class multifunctional support vessel MSV Stena Seaspread at Gothenburg in March, the president of the Line, Sten A. Olsson, presented to Mr R. M.

Addison, chairman of Aberdeen station branch a cheque for £5,000 for launching davits for Aberdeen's D class inflatable lifeboat and other equipment.

Stena Seaspread was named by Mrs Pamela Kelly, wife of the general manager of British National Oil Corporation, to whom the vessel is going on charter, and Mr Addison presented commemorative shields, with crossed flags of BNOC and the RNLI, to Mr Olsson and Mrs Kelly.

Revi painting An oil painting of the service to Revi, for which Brian Bevan, coxswain of Humber lifeboat, was awarded the gold medal, was presented to the RNLI by the artist, Trevor Parkin, a noted East Anglian painter, and by Spalding branch. A pen and ink reproduction of the original was drawn for the magazine Coast and Country, prints of which are available, price 50p plus 25p packing and post, from Spalding branch chairman, Theo G. R. Stibbons, 4 Rainton Court, Spalding, Lincolnshire.

Each print is signed by Trevor Parkin and Brian Bevan.

Formula One Guy Edwards is racing a modified Arrows Al in this year's British Formula One championship for Ultramar, which has devised a scheme to enable various charities to benefit from its racing programme.

Each race meeting is allocated to a specified charity. At that meeting the Ultramar car driven by Guy Edwards carries the name of the chosen charity which at the end of the day receives a donation depending on the car's performance.

Ultramar has allocated two meetings to the RNLI: May 5 at Mallory Park, after which the Institution received a donation of £520, and August 10 at Snetterton.

NW research group A North West Research Group of the Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society, covering stations from West Kirby north to Barrow, was formed in the spring and welcomes new members. Annual subscription, £1.25 (juniors 75p), includes a quarterly newsletter. Information from David Forshaw, 8 Stratford Road, Lytham-St Anne's, Lancashire.

Insurance and finance Aegis Insurance Services (Group) Ltd, of Aegis House, Castle Hill, Maidenhead, Berkshire, has planned a complete insurance and financial service for supporters of the RNLI which has the approval of the Committee of Management. The RNLI will benefit financially from this promotion. Details will be found in the leaflet sent out with this copy of the journal.LOA LWL Beam Draught Displacement Fast Slipway Lifeboat The RNLI has placed an order with Fairey Marine (East Cowes), Isle of Wight, for two prototypes of the new fast slipway lifeboat designed to replace many of the Institution's present slipway lifeboats when they reach the end of their station lives.

Whereas, however, the older lifeboats are limited to a maximum speed of 9 knots by their displacement hull form and protected propellers, the fast slipway boat has a new semi-planing hull design, researched by the National Maritime Institute, which will allow her to attain a speed of 15 knots while still protecting the propellers against damage in shoal waters and on launching and recovery. Her overall dimensions were determined to meet the requirement that she should fit into existing boathouses and be launched from existing slipways..