Wednesday, December 15, 2010

J/111 ISAF Offshore Certification


J/111 ISAF ISO Offshore Certification- first production sailboat worldwide
(London, England)- All new monohull yachts with a age and series date after January 2010 participating in a Category 0,1,2 race under the ISAF Offshore Special Regulations (OSR) now require an ISAF plan review certificate.  J/111 gains first production plan review certificate that meets or exceeds ISO and old ABS Standards for "Offshore Racing" certification.
The backbone of the new scheme is the newly published parts of the International Standard ISO 12215, these are used as the minimum structural standard to which boat designs are reviewed against. The standard is gaining increasing international acceptance as it replaces the previously used, but no longer supported ABS guide. The review is undertaken by ISAF recognized notified bodies, these are organizations that are able to carry out assessments and issue CE certificates for the European Recreational Craft Directive (RCD) and have also been recognized by ISAF.
Jason Smithwick, Head of ISAF Technical & Offshore Department comments "It is a significant step forward in the program now ISAF have issued it first custom certificate to the TP-52 built for TEAM ORIGIN and its first production certificate to the J/111."
The scheme is gaining acceptance with the first certificates being issued by notified bodies; Germanischer Lloyd (GL) and International Marine Certification Institute (IMCI) respectively and ISAF is aware of other Notified Bodies with further boats in the process of achieving OSR plan review.
ISAF have been taking an increasing role in the development of ISO standards and have for the last couple of year been a consultative member within the ISO organization. ISAF in partnership with the European Boating Association have been especially involved in pushing the development of part 9 of the standard related to keel structure. ISAF will continue to work with its members nations and classes who are users based membership organization in the development of International Standards and Regulations.