ABYC Announces Board Members, Award Recipients at Annual Meeting
The American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) marked its 70th anniversary, welcomed new board members, and honored award recipients at its Jan. 8 annual meeting in Annapolis. The event is a highlight of ABYC Standards Week, where experts from various sectors of the marine industry to review and update safety standards related to the design, construction and repair of recreational boats.
ABYC Board Chair Jeff Wasil and President John Adey briefed attendees on ABYC's initiatives and acknowledged the volunteers dedicated to boating safety. Capt. Amy Beach, director of inspections and compliance for the U.S. Coast Guard, also addressed the gathering.
Beach noted, “A recent study found NMMA Certified Boat using ABYC standards are much less likely to be involved in accidents involving serious injury or fatality than non-certified boats. The USCG cannot accomplish its safety mission alone and we’re thankful to have such long standing partnerships as ABYC.”
The 2024 board of directors were elected, including Scott Croft of BoatUS, Sean Hatherley of Navico Group, and Randall Lyons from the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association.