Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person ever to sail solo non-stop around the world, will tomorrow re-launch the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's Voluntary Safety Identification Scheme on the MCA stand (91b) at 11:30 a.m. at the London International Boat Show.

The Safety Identification Scheme allows boat owners to voluntarily register details of their vessel with HM Coastguard for use during any emergency search and rescue operation related to their craft. The owner of any type of water borne craft and of any size may partake in the scheme. The scheme membership card will be included in the new edition of the brochure ‘Safety on the Sea – Safety Guidelines for Recreational Boat Users’ which provides useful safety information for leisure craft users of all levels of experience.

Chief Coastguard, John Astbury said of the re-launch, "Joining the Voluntary Safety Identification Scheme gives the Coastguard advance knowledge of your craft and saves precious minutes during search and rescue operations when you are overdue; or when we have limited information on who is being carried on the craft and we need a shoreside contact in a hurry.

"Search and rescue is co-ordinated using all of the information available; you are easier to find when the Coastguard know what they are searching for, and remember no one is immune to risk."

The new brochure will be available at all Coastguard Stations and MCA offices around the UK, RNLI Lifeboat Boathouses, Marinas, and Yacht Clubs.

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston went to sea as a Cadet with the British India Steam Navigation Company in 1957. He passed his Master's certificate in 1965 and commanded a ship on the African coast in 1966. Between 1963 and 1965 he built the 32-foot ketch "Suhaili" and then sailed her home to England via the Cape of Good Hope. In 1968 he set off as one of the 9 contestants in the Sunday Times Golden Globe event, to become the first person to ever sail solo non stop around the world. The voyage took 312 days and he was the only finisher. Twice winner of the 2 handed round Britain race, with 20 Atlantic crossings to his credit, he was awarded the Royal Institute of Navigation's Gold Medal in 1991 for his experiments into Renaissance Navigation. In 1994 he co-skippered the giant catamaran "Enza" to win the Jules Verne Trophy for the fastest circumnavigation of the world in just under 75 days, an average speed of 14.8 knots.

Sir Robin is President of the Sail Training Association, a member of the Sport England Council and a Trustee of the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich and the National Maritime Museum, Cornwall and a member of the Committee of Management of the RNLI. He is Chairman of Clipper Ventures Plc, the around the world race event company. Sir Robin has revalidated his Class 1 ticket on March 2000 and holds a Yacht Masters (ocean) Certificate.