Innovative lifejacket for cruise market boosts Cosalt's export sales
18 June 2009
UK marine safety company Cosalt has secured a major export contract to supply over 9,500 lifejackets to Royal Caribbean International cruise lines for their new mega ship, the 220,000 ton Oasis of the Seas. The $2billion liner is the largest ever built and will carry 5,400 passengers. It is scheduled to launch at the end of 2009.
The Oasis of the Seas will be supplied with the ground-breaking Cosalt Premier 2010 lifejacket. This is the first inherently buoyant lifejacket in the world to be approved to the new and more stringent safety at sea Maritime Safety Committee regulations (MSC20(80)) due for implementation in July 2010.
The product was the result of a three-year research and development project that involved over 1000 hours of in-water testing and detailed discussions with leading cruise and ferry operators.
The Premier 2010 has a patented design Neck System that can adjust to the wearer’s neck size so it can be worn by anyone from 43kg up to 140kg while still maintaining good face angles and mouth clearance above the water. The patented Reverse Angle Head Support holds the head at the optimum position for maximum in-water performance even if the wearer becomes unconscious. The lifejacket self rights in an average of 1.7 seconds.
Explained Andrew Richards, Managing Director of Cosalt's Marine business: "We have developed a ground-breaking lifejacket that reaches new levels of performance. With a number of exciting and innovative patented design features, the Premier 2010 will outperform existing products by a considerable margin. We believe this commitment to innovation was the key to winning the prestigious Oasis of the Seas export order.
"What is more, we have worked hard to bring this product to market well in advance of the new regulations coming into force in July 2010 to help save lives at sea and ensureour customers can take advantage of the latest lifejacket design technology at the earliest opportunity."
Cosalt currently supplies the most of the world's major cruise lines with both marine safety equipment and fibre ropes from the UK. See more information on the Cosalt Premier 2010.