It is a relief to be writing my annual message for The Lifeboat as a welcome alternative to sending letters to the editors of the Sunday Telegraph and Private Eye! Many of you will have read the articles in those publications and will share our disappointment that so many of the socalled facts were manifestly wrong.

It was obviously a setback when the first production Severn was damaged during trials, but this was by no means as serious as the press would have us believe.

Remedial work was completed on schedule, and by the end of 1996 three Severns were already in service Another six are due in 1997, and the coxswains and crews at these stations are keenly anticipating the arrival of their new lifeboats. I am confident they will not be disappointed.

During 1996 the Trent programme really got under way, and by the end of the year 18 boats were due to be in service. The Chairman, David Acland, and I attended the naming and dedication of six Trents during the year and it was gratifying to hear at first hand how delighted coxswains and crews are with the performance of their new lifeboats.

Future needs Once the new 25-knot classes are in service the level of cover provided can be improved, and a key target is to be able to reach virtually any point 50 miles from the shore within two-and-a-half hours by the end of 1999, one third quicker than at present.

Occasionally I am asked why we continue to set new targets; why not be content with what we have achieved in design and cover? To some degree the criticisms of the Severn in the articles I referred to was to that effect - that the Severn represents a step too far and is too fast, too heavy, too sophisticated, and therefore too expensive.

It is worth saying that these same criticisms were levelled at the Arun when it was introduced in the early 1960s. At that time boats capable of speeds of 17 or 18 knots were also considered a step too far, but the Arun has been one of the great success stories of the RNLI and has earned the affection and respect of coxswains and crews everywhere.

Similar comments were made about the D class inflatable, which was also seen by some people as being inappropriate for the RNLI. Its record speaks for itself, and proves how wise it was to add them to our fleet and increase our capability in such a substantial way.

I believe, from talking to lifeboat people throughout the Institution, that we should not rest on our laurels but try to improve the service we provide and set worthwhile targets for the future as we have in the past.

Following the tragic disasters at Longhope in 1969 and at Fraserburgh a year later, the RNLI set itself the target of ensuring that the entire all-weather lifeboat fleet would be self-righting by the end of the 1970s. Then, in the 1980s, we committed ourselves to providing an all-fast lifeboat fleet by the end of 1993. Both targets were met, and have proved fully justified.

By the end of 1999 25-knot Severns and Trents will ensure that the improved level of cover can be achieved, and already we are looking still further into the future to see whether there are other practical ways in which our service can be improved.

We have recognised that some 90% of lifeboat services are within ten miles or so from the coast, often in reasonable weather and, as new designs are considered and new technology incorporated, we must ensure that future classes of lifeboat are best suited to the tasks they must undertake.

Another challenge is the number of potential services in, say, ten years time. Calls on lifeboats have increased by more than 85% in the last ten years and if this rate of increase is maintained there are many implications, not least on the commitment of lifeboat crews.

Reducing the demand Our colleagues in the Coastguard have set themselves the target of slowing, and then reversing, the number of incidents involving the rescue services, and our own very successful sea safety initiative can play its part in ensuring that the increasing number of people using the sea are as well equipped as possible to deal with accidents.

Despite this we must recognise that calls on the lifeboat service are likely to increase and, as nothing ever stands still, the Institution's future promises to be challenging and exciting.

Clearly our plans for the future must be funded, and during 1996 I was reminded time and again of the dedication of our fundraisers. There is no doubt that the RNLI's independence and its support by voluntary contributions are cornerstones of our success, and the commitment of our fundraisers acts as an inspiration to all lifeboat crews.

This was illustrated at the Annual Presentation of Awards this year when Helmsman Richard Pearce received a silver medal for his outstanding service in an Atlantic under Brighton pier. After the ceremony Richard told me that while waiting to receive his medal he had watched with growing admiration the awards for many years of devoted fundraising.

Richard said he was reminded how much he, and all crew members, owe to all the volunteers and how important it was not to let them down in the future. Thoughtful words which summed up for me the real essence of our Institution.

In conclusion, I thank you all for your practical support for the Institution and for your continuing hard work and encouragement, and on behalf of all my staff colleagues at the RNLI I wish all our readers and their families good health and happiness in the New Year..