The 18th International Conference Delegates representing 27 different countries were given a very full programme to follow during the 18th International Lifeboat Conference held in the week of the flotilla at the Royal Bath Hotel in Bournemouth.

HRH the Duke of Kent, the RNLI President, declared the conference open at its first session on Monday June 21. In the course of the week some 50 papers were presented on topics ranging from new lifeboat designs to search and rescue concerns for countries large and small, to the need to encourage more countries to join the International Lifeboat Federation.

If anyone doubts the value of these fouryearly conferences, they only needed to have witnessed the flotilla on Poole quay to be convinced. There they would have seen in the parade two very solid examples of the fruits of past international co-operation; first there was the original Waveney class lifeboat, 44-001, acquired by the RNLI from the US Coast Guard in 1967 and second an ex-RNLI Waveney in Canadian Auxiliary Coast Guard colours, ready to make the journey to the west coast of Canada for a new lease of lifesaving duty.

Events were not all confined to the conference hall. Delegates spent a day at RNLI headquarters where they were able to view the attendant lifeboats from other countries moored up on the depot quay and to meet the crews.

On the same day they also took part in a series of seminars hosted by RNLI staff on operational, technical, sea safety, PR and fundraising topics.

The cost of the conference was defrayed thanks to the generosity of a number of commercial sponsors and one of the things this allowed was the use of the veteran paddle steamer Waverley throughout the week. It meant that the delegates could be taken to sea to view and experience the performance of the visiting lifeboats.

Another highlight of the week was a dinner for all the delegates and visiting crews hosted by the government's Maritime and Coastguard Agency aboard the restored 19lh century ironclad warship Warrior in Portsmouth Royal Naval Dockyard. The then Minister for Shipping, Glenda Jackson, represented the government at the dinner.

One of the aims of the conference had been that all the hard-working lifeboat crews involved, both from home and abroad, should gain as much from the exchange of ideas and experiences as the delegates themselves.

This was undoubtedly achieved by a programme which included a visit to the Inshore Lifeboat Centre in Cowes, and evening parties generously hosted by Poole and Swanage lifeboat stations..