A joint campaign between the British Marine Industries Federation and the Royal Yachting Association is to be launched at the London Boat Show in January to raise the awareness of the Recreational Craft Directive.

The BMIF is focusing upon helping the trade understand and comply with RCD requirements whilst the RYA will be addressing the general public’s interest. The campaign will be supported by the Department of Trade and Industry, whose Trading Standards Officers are responsible for policing the application of European directives.

The BMIF say, “this campaign has become necessary in order to ensure that the small minority of boatbuilders who do not comply with the RCD do not adversely affect the trade in general and that the procedures for importing and using a non CE-marked boat are fully understood by potential boatowners.”

The announcement follows hard on the heels of much comment at the METS trade show in Amsterdam amongst exhibitors and boatbuilder visitors regarding the abuse of RCD categories, particularly the recent surge in inappropriate boats being built to category A standards for largely marketing reasons.