1. A suitable technical regulation

Since July of 2008, France has had a regulation dedicated to yachts (private or commercial) whose hull length [1] is greater than or equal to 24 metres: the section 242. This regulation, strongly inspired by the famous British Large Yacht Code (see illustration below) is especially suited to these particular vessels.

See the section 242: D242 french version (Format pdf - 330.1 kb - 20/01/2011) D242 english version (Format pdf - 452.4 kb - 20/01/2011)

The provisions equivalent to the SOLAS and LOAD LINE conventions (1966) introduced by section 242 were stated to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and as a result they are recognised by the countries that are signatories to the IMO conventions. As such it is possible to issue international safety certificates based on this regulation, which provides international recognition not already established to French tyachts used on a commercial basis. Commercial yachts are treated in the same way as cargo ships in international sailing.
Notification text of division 242 to the IMO (Format pdf - 150.6 kb - 20/01/2011)
The table below shows the concordance between international conventions and the French and British regulations:

2. A simple and transparent approval process

You know what you’re embarking on with the RIF!
For any additional questions or more details on the section below please do not hesitate to contact the French Flag RIF’s technical expert.

An initial quick technical opinion: the assessment survey
Your vessel is already in service under another flag: this service is dedicated to you!
The assessment survey allows you to quickly recognise any existing technical gaps between your yacht and the applicable regulations, and therefore to calculate the cost required for complying with the French Flag rules. With a simple request the RIF’s surveyor can get on board for a thorough inspection of the vessel. An inspection report is sent to you within 24 hours.

Approval
Commercial yachts are approved by the ministry responsible for the sea with advice from the French National Safety Committee for Recreational Vessels (CNSNP) [2]. This committee examines the vessel’s plans and documents. It meets in accordance with a schedule (Format pdf - 13.3 kb - 20/01/2011) which is drawn up annually. It is made up of experts from the industry (classification society, shipyards, naval architects, yacht captains, etc.).
  Approval request letter (Format pdf - 20.2 kb - 20/01/2011)
 Shipping company user guide (forthcoming)
  Information sheet (Format pdf - 20.4 kb - 20/01/2011)
  List of documents to be provided for an approval (Format pdf - 52.4 kb - 20/01/2011)
A vessel can be approved quickly depending on the quality of the technical file provided to the committee. However, if the vessel already possesses safety certificates that are being validated, temporary documents can be drawn up to allow it to be used immediately under the French Flag (subject to a complete technical file being provided and the vessel having undergone a safety inspection which it has passed).

Inspections under the "French Flag"
Throughout its life, your yacht will be subject to safety inspections by the French Flag’s inspectors. Special surveys are carried out during the shipbuilding phase to check that the vessel is being built in accordance with the regulations. Before it is put into service the vessel must undergo a service inspection which is aimed mainly at verifying that the "actual" vessel does indeed correspond with the vessel whose plans have been approved by the CNSNP. Numerous tests are carried out during this inspection (fire drill, bilge system, etc.). Once the vessel is in use, it is inspected on a periodic basis (once per year) in order to verify that it is being maintained in good working order.
All of the inspections carried out by the French Flag’s inspectors are free of charge where they take place in mainland France and in the French overseas territories; the shipping company is responsible for travel and accommodation when they take place abroad.

Safety documents
Vessels possess different safety documents depending on the applicable regulations. The table below summarises all the certificates that must be kept on board depending on the vessel’s tonnage,
See Safety documents depending on the tonnage (Format pdf - 42 kb - 27/01/2011)
The certificates are issued free of charge by the French Flag’s inspectors.

3. The contributors

One single contact person for the French Flag: the RIF’s surveyor
Since September 2010, this expert forms the link between the shipping company and the different contributors from the authorities:
 The National Safety Committee for Recreational Vessels [2]
 The vessel safety centre [3]
 The tonnage level office [4]
 The National Agency of Frequencies [5]

Classification society
Classification societies can intervene in two ways:
 For the purposes of classification of the vessel, i.e. the vessel’s compliance with the classification society’s regulations. This compliance leads to the issuing of classification certificates. Section 242 requires that new vessels with a gross tonnage greater than 300 UMS and existing vessels of more than 500 UMS are classified. Vessels for which classification is not required have their operations limited (short range [6]).
 For the purposes of a delegation received on the authority of the French Flag. This may be the case for example for examining the freeboard, which includes the structure resistance, the stability and the conditions of assignment.
In order to be able to take action, the classification society must be recognized by the French maritime authority. There are four societies recognized as at today’s date: Bureau Veritas, Det Norske Veritas, Germanisher Lloyd and Lloyd Register.
Intervention by a classification society must be paid for by the shipping company.