Seawork was also the venue for the launch of a new UK branch of its European Zodiac Training Academy, with provisional dates for the first sessions set for the end of next month.

Zodiac established its first Maritime Academy in America three years ago. Designed to train emergency personnel to respond effectively to critical incidents, these courses have been available to all public safety and first responder personnel, including police, fire, rescue and SWAT teams. Water borne rescuers working in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina made valuable use of the training they received at the Zodiac Maritime Academy.

Such is demand that Zodiac has organised no fewer than 22 courses in the USA over just three months this summer.

The UK branch Zodiac's European Training Academy will have its own instructors, boats and equipment. It will be headed by academy director Peter White, well known for running Seafever International Ltd, a mobile teaching unit for powerboat training. He regularly trains instructors and runs courses for Harbourmasters, police, fire brigades, HM Customs & Excise and the maritime branches of local authorities.

Zodiac Academies have two basic paths of instruction;

Basic Boat Operations using soft bottom boats and Tactical Operations using RIBs. Extra skill specific courses such as Extreme Maritime Environment Operations or Personnel Recovery can be added to these two foundation courses.

The first three day courses to be run in the UK are scheduled for 25, 26 and 27 September out of the Itchen Sailing Club in Chichester Harbour.

MJInformation No: 22111