Bureau Veritas launches Condition Assessment Programme for Yachts

Leading international classification society Bureau Veritas has extended its successful Condition Assessment Programme to cover all types of yachts. BV Yacht CAP will provide owners with a certified and recognized evaluation of the real status of any yacht to promote the yacht’s condition to charterers, brokers, yacht managers, banks and leasing companies.

“Big yachts are big business but a high risk area for charterers and financiers,” says Vincent Lefebvre, Head of CAP and Environment section, Bureau Veritas. “BV Yacht CAP helps them manage that risk by carrying out a full assessment of the structure and outfit of the yacht and applying a Condition Assessment Programme rating to the vessel. It applies to all yachts, both pleasure and charter, regardless of length, and quantifies the actual condition of the yacht, independently from its class or age. The vessel does not have to be BV class to benefit, we can do this for any yacht, classed or not.”

An inspection of the hull, equipment and machinery systems allows the assignment of a score from 1 to 4, depending on the characteristics of each yacht and according to the survey chosen. These can be a CAP Standard Survey carried out afloat, an Extended CAP Survey which includes dry dock or underwater survey and Comfort CAP Survey which also includes sea trials.

Says Lefebvre, “We have built a globally successful CAP programme for oil tankers, gas carriers and ships of all types, meeting the strict standards of oil majors and international charterers and banks. We have now blended our expertise and software in the CAP field with our experience with yachts to produce a useful and flexible tool for evaluating yachts. The BV Yacht Cap covers hull structure, hull and deck equipment and fittings, propulsion and auxiliary machinery, fittings and systems and the bridge and navigational and communications system. It’s a full and detailed snapshot of the vessels’ condition, and it is delivered quickly and in an easy to digest format.”

BV has recently slashed reporting time for CAP surveys and improved accessibility and usability of the report through the development of patented software specifically designed for Condition Assessment purposes. Users get a detailed report illustrated with representative pictures and a CAP Certificate with a CAP rating giving a quick and easy understanding of the yacht's condition. All backed by the certification of a global classification society and Recognised Organisation.

The new CAP Reporting Software was designed in liaison with clients and ship vetting entities. Using a web-based interface the tool is installed on surveyors’ lap tops. The database of the spaces and important machinery equipment is automatically down loaded from BV's class database Neptune if the unit is BV class or uploaded for next time use if the vessel is not BV class. Reporting time is vastly reduced by use of drop down menus and eliminating duplication of data. Drop down menus ensure that CAP survey reports use common language and common phraseology throughout the BV network. Automatic calculation of scores and award of ratings takes away the possibility of calculation errors.

The final very easy to read report is downloadable in pdf format or can be read directly on line with magazine style page turning software. The client has the option of making it available on line to charters, banks, potential buyers and others.

Bureau Veritas is a world leader in conformity assessment and certification services. Created in 1828, the Group has close to 50,000 employees in 930 offices and 330 laboratories located in 140 countries. Bureau Veritas helps its clients to improve their performances by offering services and innovative solutions in order to ensure that their assets, products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environmental protection and social responsibility.

www.bureauveritas.com for corporate information www.veristar.com for marine information

Visit Bureau Veritas at Monaco Yacht Show Booth No: QP65
A breakfast briefing will be held on this booth today Wednesday 21 September 2011 at 11:00 am


For more information:
Vincent Lefebvre
Bureau Veritas France
+33 1 55 24 72 68
vincent.lefebvre@bureauveritas.com

Stefano Brigandi
Bureau Veritas Italia
+39 010 585 439
stefano.brigandi@it.bureauveritas.com

Bureau Veritas launches new Rules for Yachts and Megayachts

Leading international classification society Bureau Veritas is launching a fully updated set of classification rules for yachts and megayachts. The Rules cover design approval, material and equipment certification and construction surveillance at the yard for single yacht building or for production in large series following an alternative survey scheme. Motor and sailing yachts of mono or multi hull type, built in steel, aluminium alloys or composite materials are covered. A major addition to the new Rules is a set of standards applicable to very large charter yachts and yachts with over 12 passengers. These standards bridge the gap between international conventions applying to passenger ships and yacht industry standards.

In addition to the classification of yachts, these Rules are also applicable within the scope of European Community certification for pleasure yachts ranging up to 24 m, with Bureau Veritas then acting as notified body.

The new Rules update BV’s 2006 Yacht Rules and incorporate feedback in service of yachts built to those rules. They also include additional class notations covering comfort on board, operation in ice and helicopter facilities. BV has also developed a specialised software package which is dedicated to the calculation of yacht structures built in composite materials, which is linked to the new Rules.

The new Rules also contain appropriate technical standards for large charter yachts over 500 UMS and/or yachts carrying passengers which fall into the category of passenger ships under International Conventions such as SOLAS. At present, there is a technical approach consensus in National Flag Regulations covering charter yachts over 500 UMS or charter yachts carrying less than twelve passengers. The regulatory environment becomes more difficult for charter yachts carrying more than twelve passengers. These yachts, engaged in trade, are covered by IMO Conventions and are to be considered as passenger vessels. These conventions, developed for passenger vessels carrying hundreds or thousands of passengers, are not easy to use for a yacht design. The new BV Rules develop a new set of requirements, close to the international conventions but customised to the yacht industry standards.

These requirements cover hull construction materials including the use of composite materials, stability criteria and damage stability, emergency sources of electricity power equipment and fire safety equipment. They are defined on the basis of SOLAS and Load Line conventions requirements for passenger ships carrying between twelve and thirty six passengers. The driving principle is to assist the designer and yard with an alternative approach as an equivalent basis to the international conventions. Bureau Veritas classification can speed the flag approval for each yacht project.

Bureau Veritas is a world leader in conformity assessment and certification services. Created in 1828, the Group has close to 50,000 employees in 930 offices and 330 laboratories located in 140 countries. Bureau Veritas helps its clients to improve their performances by offering services and innovative solutions in order to ensure that their assets, products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environmental protection and social responsibility.

www.bureauveritas.com for corporate information, www.veristar.com for marine information.

Visit Bureau Veritas at Monaco Yacht Show booth No: QP65

A breakfast briefing will be held on this booth on Wednesday 21st September 2011 at 11:00 am

For more information:
Benjamin Collier
Bureau Veritas France
+33 2 40 92 48 15
benjamin.collier@bureauveritas.com