Can a measurer working at a manufacturer certify equipment made/sold by that manufacturer?

This question relates to ERS H.1.1

This is the clause that, in short form, says an official measurer cannot certify equipment in which he has an interest. In full it says:

H.1.1         An official measurer shall not carry out certification control of any part of a boat owned, designed or built by himself, or in which he is an interested party, or has a vested interest, except where permitted by the MNA or World Sailing for In-House Certification.

This appears to create a problem for any one of several measurers who supply equipment to our sport. For example, if a supplier has provided the Dyneema and bowsies for a boat, is he prohibited from certifying the sails and/or the whole boat?

Guidance has been sought from the RYA Technical department (in the first instance, November 2022, as only the WS may interpret the ERS) about the meaning of this clause. The response was that H.1.1 should be understood to mean the following:

H.1.1         An official measurer shall not carry out certification control of any component part of a boat where that component part is owned, designed or built by himself, or in which he is an interested party, or has a vested interest, except where permitted by the MNA or World Sailing for In-House Certification.

So, in the case of a boat rigged with the Dyneema and bowsies supplied by the official measurer and/or his employer, as neither of these requires certification there seems to be no impediment preventing the measurer from carrying out certification control of the boat.

Hopefully this will help our understanding here.

April 2026.