On 18 September, CA House hosted a key meeting entitled 'The Future of Pilot Books, Cruising Guides and Almanacs' attended by representatives from FB Imray, the RCC Pilotage Foundation, the Clyde Cruising Club, the Cruising Association and several Imray authors.
The meeting marked the first gathering of its kind since the formation of FB Imray ( FB Imray Laurie Norie & Wilson GmbH), the new joint venture between Imray and freytag & berndt (FB), the successor publisher to Imray.
Carl Rauch, Managing Director of FB Imray, introduced FB as a specialist and leading cartographic company headquartered in Vienna. The main discussion focussed on the changing marketplace, including:
- the shift towards digital products, such as CAptain’s Mate
- the future of printed books - which is currently bright
- working practices and trends in the wider navigational market
Despite the rise of digital tools, the consensus view was that there is a continuing role for paper products, including paper charts for cruise planning.
The group agreed to hold this meeting annually, to strengthen the collaboration between publisher and authors.
Discover more about the joint partnership between Imray Laurie Norie & Wilson Ltd (Imray) and freytag & berndt (FB) at www.theca.org.uk/news/rats/paper-charts-future-secured.
10 October 2025