AGM 2022 to be held at Düsseldorf

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Please check your emails,

You’ll find an email from Saturday 18th of December, sent by “admin@gmi-eu.org”.

You can also find it here in the “FORUM”, “Düsseldorf 2022 Hybrid AGM and Meeting”.

This is your invitation to our Annual General Meeting.

As you can see on the posts below, it seems likely that the fair “DüsselBOOT” will take place – as our Meeting will.

You are worried because of “COVID 19”? No problem, we are also very careful.

The meeting will be strictly in line with the official COVID regulations and we will also provide a digital solution to take part and vote.

 

Look forward seeing you, be it digital or – even better – in person!

Your SteerCo

Exhibitor attendance remains strong for boot Düsseldorf 2022 (with kind permission of Marine Industry News)

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The number of exhibitors attending boot Düsseldorf remains strong, with the show occupying 13 exhibition halls from 22-30 January 2022.

In addition, it has been announced today that Germany’s federal minister of transport, Dr Volker Wissing, will open the event and its sustainability forum Blue Innovation Dock (BID) in Hall 9.

The BID is designed to bring together companies, visionaries, investors and politicians to make the industry fit for the future. The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) will also be participating with a high-level political panel on the development of sustainable coastal and marine tourism. This will focus on the expansion of new and existing destinations for maritime and inland tourism, as well as government support for marinas and other boating infrastructure.

Elsewhere in the show, the entire Brunswick Group, all outboard manufacturers, X-Shore, XO-Boats, Princess, Sunseeker, Sirena, Frauscher, Say and ZAR Formenti will feature in Halls 4-6, with a large range of superyacht companies in 7a. Hall 8b will accommodate a 65m pool with large wind machines providing a powerful breeze for surfing, wingfoiling and wingsurfing, with brands such as Starboard, Gunsails, Goya and Gaastra among the exhibitors. Halls 9 and 10 are said to be almost complete with accessories and equipment companies, including Capelli and Bukh Bremen.

Halls 11 and 12 are dedicated to the diving industry, with a new diving tower in Hall 12. Tourism on and around the water will be the focus in Halls 13 and 14 with Kiriacoulis, Argos, Cosmos Yachting, Navigare and Kuhnle Hausboote showcasing their extensive booking programmes.

Forty sailing boat manufacturers will be present in Hall 15, including Bavaria, Elan, Saare, Greenboats, Haber Yachts, Imexus, Swallow Yachts as well as Aquacraft. All German class associations will also attend and many dinghy manufacturers are set to present their range of sports boats.

boot Düsseldorf project director, Petros Michelidakis, comments: “A look at our ticket shop shows that the international interest in boot 2022 is high. Visitors from a total of 60 countries have bought tickets for boot so far. 22 per cent of the purchases come from interested parties from abroad. This is a very good figure for the current situation and clearly shows that visitors have started their travel plans in December. I am pleased to be able to offer all water sports enthusiasts a special boot here in Düsseldorf with many, attractive hands-on activities, committed exhibitors and a highly interesting stage programme.”

boot Düsseldorf latest: organiser says show will go ahead (with kind permission of Marine Industry News)

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The organisers of boot Düsseldorf have reaffirmed that the boat show will take place from 22 to 30 January 2022. In a release circulated yesterday (8 December), Messe Düsseldorf states it has decided to hold boot 2022 as planned after consultations with the exhibiting branches and consistent implementation of the current Covid Protection Ordinance of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Protocols for entry to the show have been updated recently meaning only visitors who comply with the vaccinated or recovered regulation may enter the fairgrounds during boot. In addition, wearing a particle filtering half or medical mask is compulsory in all halls.

Messe Düsseldorf CEO Wolfram Diener says: “Messe Düsseldorf has a responsibility towards both the exhibitors and the large watersports community to hold boot 2022. Since we already updated our access regulations a fortnight ago with regard to the vaccinated or recovered regulations, we are fully on track with boot 2022 even under the new regulations in the current Covid Protection Ordinance.”

While some names have already pulled out of the show in light of rising covid cases, the industry appears keen to see the show come to fruition. Diener says “the approval from the watersports industry for boot 2022 is good. We will be able to put on another boot in 2022 to kick off the new season.”

 

 

The non-participation of some luxury, sailing yacht and motor boat manufacturers is regrettable and objectively incomprehensible for Messe Düsseldorf, adds boot project director Petros Michelidakis. However, with global market leaders such as Princess and Sunseeker, Bavaria Yachtbau as Germany’s largest sports boat manufacturer for sail and motor boats and Hallberg Rassy in the sailing boat segment, there is “a lot on offer” and a great boat show with a wide range of products for the visitors.

Marc Rutgers, managing director of the major European watersports wholesaler ALLPA says: “We at ALLPA are looking forward to boot 2022. We will meet our European customers there. I trust that Messe Düsseldorf, taking into account the current protection regulation in Germany and with the vaccinated or recovered regulation for visitors, will offer our industries a good and safe place to do business.”

Martin Guscott, exhibition manager Sunseeker International says: “We are really excited to be back at one of, if not the largest indoor boat show in the world – boot Dusseldorf. We have an incredible line-up, including the global premiere of the Sunseeker Predator 65 which will take centre stage among the fantastic display of yachts. This has been an accumulation of months of planning and organising, from boat deliveries up the River Rhine, all the way down to the finer details to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all that visit – we are ready and excited to welcome guests to our stand and hopefully, to join the Sunseeker Family.”

Michelidakis adds: “We are very happy about the good support of our friends from the boating industry. Our partner associations, the German Marine Federation and, at international level, the European Boating Industry, are also working with great commitment and enthusiasm to plan a successful boot 2022”.

The organiser also notes that the latest air exchange regulators also ensure a regular supply of fresh air in the exhibition halls. More existing exhibitors vocalising support for the event include Bavaria Yachts and Sea Ray International.

Marc Diening, CEO Bavaria Yachtbau says: “For Bavaria Yachts, boot in Düsseldorf is the most important international water sports fair. As a long-standing partner, we will be represented with five motor boats in Hall 1 and five sailing yachts in Hall 16. We are looking forward to boot 2022 and your visitors.”

Hans Roelants, general manager Sea Ray International says: “Although the current Covid-19 situation continues to change on a daily basis, we strongly believe in the power of boot Düsseldorf and physical boat shows in general. We are confident in the safety regulations that boot Dusseldorf is putting in place and will have very strict protocols for all our employees as well throughout the duration of the show. As of now, we are planning to exhibit at boot Dusseldorf 2022 and will continue to make preparations to ensure the health and safety of our employees, customers, and attendees. Should the situation worsen, and make it impossible to exhibit, or put jeopardize the health and safety of our employees, we will adjust accordingly.”

Towards a new normality – GMI meets IAATI_EB Vehicle Crime Investigators

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These days our Vice President Matthias Böhmen and our Treasurer Ron Vermeulen are attending the IAATI_EB Vehicle Crime Investigators’ meeting in Ghent, Belgium. As we know, vehicle crime often overlaps with crime in the nautical world, and we continue our expansion of relationships and exchange in the world of prevention and fight against crime.

We firmly believe that sharing is a great step towards taking care, and we are already planning new events that will lead to a common enrichment. As a starter, we look forward to seeing you at our next meeting in Düsseldorf

Cocaine worth $232m seized from yacht in Atlantic Ocean (With Kind permission of Marine Industry News)

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Portuguese and Spanish authorities have seized 5.2 tons of cocaine from a sailboat and arrested three suspects, in Portugal’s largest drug bust in 15 years.

Luis Neves, director of Portugal’s criminal investigation police, says the haul represents the largest amount of cocaine worth ever seized from a sailboat.

According to AlArabiya, authorities discovered 183 cloth sacks full of cocaine, destined for the continental European market, inside the sailboat in the Atlantic Ocean, around 550km from Portugal’s coast.

“We are always expecting (more drug trafficking) and this is the message we want to send organisations: we are waiting for you,” says Neves. “Those who have to fall will fall because this amount of drugs is an immense fortune and a huge blow for criminal groups.”

Antonio Duarte, head of Spain’s police narcotics unit, says the crew members (two Spanish and one Peruvian) had already been on authorities’ radar and an arrest warrant had been issued for one of them.

Lifejacket prevented teenager’s escape from capsized pleasure cruiser (With Kind permission of Marine Industry News)

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A teenager who drowned after being trapped in the cabin of a capsized pleasure cruiser was unable to escape after her lifejacket automatically inflated, an investigation has found, according to the Daily Mail.

Gillian Davey, 17, was with her parents and brother on board the 5.4m Norma G, when the boat was capsized by a large wave close to the Doom Bar in the Camel Estuary, Cornwall, on May 25 last year.

The report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) says that once the boat capsized, Gillian and her mother Caroline, who were in the cabin, put on their lifejackets, which inflated when the cabin started to fill with water.

Mrs Davey became trapped under a table, but managed to remove her lifejacket and swim out through the submerged cabin door, but Gillian kept hers on, causing her to become trapped.

‘Without doubt, the wearing of personal flotation devices, such as lifejackets, saves lives,’ states the MAIB report. ‘However, there are circumstances when wearing automatically inflating lifejackets can be hazardous, for example when in enclosed spaces such as accommodation areas and cabins.’

The MAIB investigation also found that the dangers of being near the Doom Bar in a small boat close to low water were not fully appreciated by Norma G’s owner, who had limited boating experience.

The Doom Bar caused the water depth to shallow very rapidly, causing the sea swell to abruptly shorten into large steep plunging waves, which were unnoticed by those on board Norma G until it was too late.

There were no aids to navigation marking the extremities of the Doom Bar and, because the boat was not equipped with an electronic chart system, the owner navigated by eye, unaware of how close his boat was to the north-east end of the Doom Bar.

In addition, the Norma G was constructed in the 1970s to lower safety standards than apply now. Specifically, it had limited reserve buoyancy, causing it to sink by the stern, making the rescue of the casualty difficult.

Chief inspector of marine accidents, Captain Andrew Moll says: “This sad accident highlights the need for leisure boat users to get properly trained and equip themselves with the necessary navigational tools to stay safe. Conditions at sea can change rapidly, boat owners should check the weather forecast before setting out and know the limitations of their boat.

“There are many reasons to operate an older craft, but it must be appreciated that some were built to lower safety standards than modern craft and may not be suitable for use at sea. Owners of craft not marked with a CE plate are urged to seek advice from a qualified marine surveyor on the suitability of their craft for its intended use.”

Recommendations have been made to Padstow Harbour Commissioners to consider placing a navigation mark at the north-east extremity of the Doom Bar.

with kind permission of Marine Industry News

Orca whales catching a sailor

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Frightnening adventure for a  sailor feeling himself in unreversable trouble, when a pod of orca whales attacked his boat.

The 27 years old  was under attack more than two hours by several of these mammals reaching  25ft long and weighting  five tonnes each

“As per the best horror novel at one point all became quiet around me” this told by the young sailor, but after a while he saw the mammals pod changing direction again and coming back to him, do you remember the movie Jaws? well I can imagine something like this

let’s jump to the footage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuQFTjLbufc

 

Couple killed in horror boat crash on Lake Garda ((With kind permission of Marine Industry News https://marineindustrynews.co.uk/)

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Two German tourists from Munich are being investigated for alleged manslaughter and failure to provide assistance following a fatal boat crash on Italy’s Lake Garda on Sunday in which an Italian man and woman were killed.

Italian state RaiNews24 TV said investigators were awaiting results of blood analyses to determine if the tourists had been drinking before the crash.

According to reports by the Associated Press (AP), the woman’s body was recovered from the lake Sunday evening by Italian firefighter rescue divers and the man’s body was found in their small boat earlier in the day. It is believed the German tourist’s boat collided with that of the victims.

Local media has named Greta Nedrotti, 25, and Umberto Garzarella, 37, as the victims.

The Corriere della Sera newspaper said the victims’ boat was badly gashed near the bow and that the man, 37, had suffered a grave abdominal wound. One of the 25-year-old woman’s legs was partially torn off, it said.

The Italian Carabinieri paramilitary police said both Germans are free on their own recognisance while under investigation for alleged manslaughter and failure to provide assistance.

Images courtesy of AP.

 

Post-Brexit certification requirement clarified (With kind permission of Marine Industry News https://marineindustrynews.co.uk/)

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Following the successful cooperation on VAT and customs, the leading European, British, and international leisure marine associations continue to provide clarity on the new post-Brexit trade relationships.

The International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA), European Boating Industry (EBI), European Boating Association (EBA), British Marine (BM) and the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) have now issued clarification on certification requirements for second-hand boats in trade between the EU and UK post-Brexit.

In dialogue with the EU and UK authorities, key questions were raised, and clarification received. The scenarios have been confirmed by BEIS and are understood to be correct based on guidance by the European Commission.

Below are the scenarios for second-hand boats that are covered by the EU’s Recreational Craft Directive and the UK’s Recreational Craft Regulations. In cases where recertification would be required, a Post-Construction Assessment (PCA) will have to be completed. This applies from the end of the transition period (TP) on 1 January 2021.

Scenario Situation in 2021 Situation in 2022
Scenario 1
· Boat in GB at end of TP
·  CE-marked·
·  Sold in GB·
· Remains in GB		 Would not need to be recertified Would not need to be recertified
Scenario 2
·   Boat in GB at end of TP
·   CE-marked
·   Imported to EU27		 Would need to
be recertified		 Would need to
be recertified
Scenario 3
·   Boat in EU27 at end of TP
·   CE-marked
·   Sold in EU27
·   Remains in EU27		 Would not need to be recertified Would not need to be recertified
Scenario 4
·   Boat in EU27 at end of TP
·   CE-marked
·   Imported to GB		 Would not need to be recertified Would not need to be recertified
Scenario 5
In GB sold to EU end user, but:
·   First sale in EU-27 (not GB market), (CE-marked, bought by EU citizen, registered, and used in EU)
·   Second sale to GB before 1
January 2021
·   Subsequent sale back to EU		 Would not need to be recertified (but proof required by national authorities) Would not need to be recertified (but proof required by national authorities)

 

Further clarifications are being sought from BEIS and the European Commission related to trade with Northern Ireland.

“We are delighted to continue the positive cooperation on another important issue for industry and boaters,” says Philip Easthill, secretary general of EBI. “We hope that despite the additional barriers for second-hand boats, the clarification on VAT and now certification will facilitate trade as much as possible. Together with our partners, we will continue to work on mitigating the impact of Brexit through our advocacy channels at EU level.”

read the full article here  (Thanks to MIN to allow us the publishing) 

 

Crack-down on illegal teak imports sees German company fined (With kind permission of Marine Industry News https://marineindustrynews.co.uk/)

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A German company has been convicted and fined for evading sanctions on timber imported from Myanmar.

The Regional Court in Hamburg found WOB Timber had evaded the EU sanctions on 31 separate shipments of timber worth millions of euros from 2008-11, when the previous military junta –the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) – was sanctioned by the EU.

The judge ordered the company to pay a fine of €3.3m and sentenced director Stephan Bührich to a 21-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of €200,000 – and warned further cases would result in even harsher penalties.

The fine and suspended jail term constitute one of the largest penalties ever imposed on a timber trader in the EU. Many of the shipments involved timber being processed in Taiwan and declared as originating in Taiwan, rather than Myanmar, to avoid the reach of the sanctions.

Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) exposed the role Taiwan plays in supplying Myanmar teak to the international markets in its 2019 report State of Corruption.

WOB Timber is also accused of exploiting regulatory loopholes to trade illicit timber more recently, as revealed in EIA’s 2020 report The Croatian Connection Exposed, when it used Croatian company Viator Pula to import timber into the EU to avoid the EU Timber Regulation’s due diligence requirements.

read the full article here  (Thanks to MIN to allow us the publishing)