Regatta of Norway has received approval from the US Coast Guard for its new generation of passenger ship lifejacket.
The Regatta Kon-Tiki Royal US lifejacket has met standards laid down in the new MSC 200 (80) regulations, a year before they are due to come into force. The new standards will apply to all newbuild passenger and cruise ships in the world after 2010. The extensive tests were carried out by Underwriter Laboratories of North Carolina, USA,
The new regulations call for greater consideration to be given to a wider range of physical characteristics of wearers. Twice as many test persons were required than under the existing European standards. The persons chosen to carry out the tests were screened by weight and height to ensure the lifejacket's functionality across a broad spectrum of body size, weight and shape.
Each tester of the Kon Tiki Royal US has been through several tests of freeboard, face and body angles. Tests were conducted a second time wearing a control lifejacket to provide a benchmark against which the performance of the Regatta product could be measured.
The lifejacket was also subjected to severe load testing to demonstrate the strength of the lifting loop by using it to raise a person out of the water. The lifejacket and components underwent rigorous climatic tests and resistance to oil.
The wearer's movability has been tested through climb tests, and entering of life rafts, and evacuation has been simulated by jump tests.
Comfort and stowage dimensions were two additional critical considerations in the design and acceptability of the Regatta lifejacket, which is available in two sizes: children's less than 43 kilos and adult's 41 kilos or more.
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