1,330 lives saved in 1984 Lifeboats launched 3,613 times and saved 1,330 lives in 1984, the Duke of Atholl, chairman of the RNLI, reported at the Institution's Annual Meeting in London on May 21.

Over £20 million was raised during the year and, after an allocation of £1.7 million to the fleet reserve for future lifeboat building, there was a surplus of £935,000.

New lifeboats now cost almost £1/2 million and the Duke announced that 50 to 60 new lifeboats would be needed in the next decade.

The proportion of expenditure devoted to the lifeboat service increased in 1984 with savings in administration costs. For every £1 of income, 77.6 pence are spent directly on the lifeboat service, 13.2 pence on fund raising and publicity, 4.6 pence on administration and 4.6 pence go to the general reserve.

A full account of the Annual Meeting appears on page 192.

Chinese visit An influential Chinese delegation, led by Mr Yang Jinseng, director of the office of marine policy studies of China's National Bureau of Oceanography, visited RNLI headquarters in Poole on April 11. Mr Jinseng and his threecolleagues were greeted by Commander Bruce Cairns, chief of operations, who explained the way the Institution operated.

The delegation were examining all branches of this country's search and rescue organisation with a view to establishing similar services in China.

They were particularly impressed by what they saw in Poole.

Falklands tribute Tenby is to receive a new Tyne class lifeboat to be named RFA Sir Galahad.

Part of the cost of the lifeboat is being met by a special appeal run by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in memory of those lost in RFA Sir Galahad which was sunk in the Falklands in 1982. The appeal has raised over £80,000 to date.

RFA Sir Galahad was disembarking Welsh Guards when she was attacked by aircraft in the Falklands, so a Welsh station is highly appropriate for this lifeboat. A special appeal has been launched in Shropshire also to raise funds for the lifeboat.Coastguards stress windsurfing safety HM Coastguard are recommending that board sailors get proper training from a recognised training centre and that they do not put to sea until they have mastered the techniques thoroughly.

Last year, lifeboats launched 320 times to sail boards.

The Coastguards are visiting shows demonstrating how board sailors can avoid trouble and how they can help themselves by expecting the unexpected.

In a statement they said 'HM Coastguard encourages board sailing as it is a healthy sport which gives youngsters an early understanding of the sea.

However, windsurfing is a risky business for the inexperienced and improperly equipped'.

Award to designer The 1984 small craft group medal of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects has been awarded to Colin Mudie, naval architect and yacht designer who is a member of the RNLI's boat and technical consultative committees.

The medal, which has been awarded for oustanding services to the small craft industry, was presented by the president of RINA on Tuesday April 16, 1985.

Colin Mudie began his career as adesign apprentice at the British Power Boat Company yard at Hythe, Southampton, and worked with yacht designers Laurent Giles and Partners and with Robert Clark before setting up his own independent design firm, first in Westminster, London, and since 1968 in Lymington, Hampshire. He designs a wide range of craft, power and sail, for pleasure and for commercial use, for individual owners and for multiple production.

They include sea training vessels such as the Sea Cadet Corps brig, TS Royalist, and her sister ship, TS Varuna, for the Indian Sea Cadet Corps.

Sothebys maritime exhibition London auctioneers Sothebys are staging a special maritime exhibition next January to benefit the RNLI. The exhibits will come principally from private collections and will include prints, drawings, watercolours, porcelain and glass, furniture, tapestries, silver, collectors items (such as sextants, compasses, models, figureheads), clocks, chronometers, barometers, stamps, arms, armour, uniforms, books, manuscripts, letters, documents, maps, coins and medals. RNLI supporters who have interesting items of a maritime nature which they would be prepared to lend are asked to contact Peter Holness, RNLI, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ. Tel: 0202 671133.NEWS POINT LOOK OUT FOR TROUBLE Lifeboats launched 3,581 times last year and coatguards were involved in 4,879 incidents. In spite of these tremendous efforts, 257 people lost their lives. Of these 134 died as a result of their vessels getting into difficulty. The remainder were personal accidents such as drowning while bathing, man overboard and cliff falls. It will never be possible to avoid deaths on or by the sea, but the lifeboat service, working with HM Coastguard and the rescue helicopters, stands ready to help anybody in trouble. One problem is that calls for help can come too late.

Recognising this, HM Coastguard are launching a new campaign 'Look out for Trouble'.

They aim to educate children both to avoid trouble by learning about beach, cliff and sailing safety and to recognise when other people are in distress. Recent tragic incidents have shown that even when the sea does not look threatening, it can take its toll.

'Look out for Trouble' encourages a responsible and vigilant approach to enjoying the seaside.

Perhaps it will help to reduce the tragic figures of lives lost.National Lifeboat Museum A new joint committee has been set up to help the National Lifeboat Museum in Bristol with its future plans.

The committee, chaired by Sir Reginald Verdon Smith, comprises three representatives each from the National Lifeboat Museum (a registered charity separate from the RNLI), the Bristol City Council and the RNLI. The museum has recently acquired the lifeboat, Helen Blake, a small harbour lifeboat stationed in Dublin Bay from 1939 to 1959. The boat was renovated by Fairey Marine of Cowes, who currently build Tyne class lifeboats.

Bombe surprise? A reader of THE LIFEBOAT swears that what follows is true. He has a neighbour who is prone to making the odd malapropism.

Recently this neighbour was recounting how he had spent the evening before in a Swanage restaurant whose dining room overlooks the bay.

From their table they could see one boat in particular was having a pretty rough time of it. The neighbour went on to say: 'and we'd only just finished our meal when the macaroons exploded!'.