While the amendment will be adopted as a new directive throughout Europe - with guidance and interpretation documents from Brussels to tie the relevant bits together - the UK will redraft the RCD to put both directives into one set of regulations.

But this is not the end of things, by any means. While the Table 1A inland limits were dropped - the engine world insisted the limits were unworkable - a report is to be prepared on possible future limits by 2007.

And the prickly subject of proving compliance with sound emission limits is gradually being resolved.

The new directive offers three options - the use of the pass-by sound test to ISO 14509 (the expensive method), the use of the reference boat database or computation using the boat's power to weight ratio and a Froude number.

The British Marine Federation (BMF) says the Froude calculation is the favoured option as it removes the need for the pass-by test for all displacement boats and most semi-displacement craft.

But, it warns, there may be some engine/boat configurations that do not meet the criteria.

The reference boat database will be built from the results gained during the SoundBoat project, which is running a number of pass-by tests on various hull/engine configurations.

Over 80 tests were run in Sweden in the first series and the UK undertook its series of tests in Poole in June using Princess and Sunseeker boats.

There will be a briefing on the new RCD at this year's Southampton Boat Show, with a further briefing on the first year of the SoundBoat project at the London International Boat Show at ExCeL in January.

Back to Volvo Penta. The company ran its biggest-ever product launch over a week in June, bringing in journalists from all over the world to see and test the new units.

The Swedes do these things rather well: including the entertainment?. . There were a few sore heads around.

Staffan Jufors, president and CEO of Volvo Penta, set the scene with an overview of the global engine market, saying that while the market had weakened throughout 2002 - primarily as a result of a decline in confidence and the uncertainty over the position in Iraq - the company had, actually been doing rather well.

"We have focused on our core business, " he said. "We have doubled our investment in product development, investing over SEK1,700 million - around $250m - into the marine business."

The results, said Jufors, speak for themselves.

"We are No 1 in customer satisfaction. We are No 1 in Europe. We are No 1 in North America. We are No 1 in Australia."

Volvo Penta's strategy to consolidate and improve its position as global leader is "a complete and aggressive renewal programme".

This is helped in no small way by the Volvo Group being the world's largest producer of diesel engines between nine and 18 litres, providing the base units for the marine engines.

"And Volvo Penta takes around 25% of that output."

Jufors said current sales are running at SEK8bn, with an operating margin of 8%. "One in every four inboard diesels sold around the globe is a Volvo Penta, " he told the assembled journalists.

Volvo Penta's aggressive renewal policy has been in place for a while now and its success, although obviously very welcome, has brought some problems.

The KAD300 launched two years ago is selling four times its projections, leaving the company struggling to supply the demand.

The D2-65 launched a year ago has doubled sales over the product it replaced.

"Product renewal is a cornerstone of our growth strategy, " said Jufors.

Lars Ljungqvist, head of corporate planning, confirmed the market is moving ever more towards bigger boats.

"And they want to go as fast in their bigger boats as they went in their little boats, " he said. At the same time, the demand for comfort is increasing, as is the demand for reduced emissions.

"It's a tough equation to compute, " he said.

Volvo says its stand at winter boat shows this year will be full of innovative new products.

The completely new D4 and D6 represent, says Volvo, a new generation of diesel engines with advanced electronic engine control and common-rail direct fuel injection.

According to project manager Rickard Stefansson:

"The fuel is fed into the cylinders as many as three times per power stroke.

This provides a softer combustion and much lower noise level - the characteristic diesel knock is completely gone."

The boat tests proved Stefansson correct. No knock and no smoke.

Both units will meet the environmental requirements planned for Europe and the USA in 2006.

The D4 is the smaller of the two, with four cylinders and 3.7 litres, delivering 210 hp from a compact envelope.

Volvo says the D4 is similar to a V6 petrol engine in performance, while the external dimensions are comparable to a V8.

The D6 has the highest output of any of Volvo's diesel Aquamatics, with 310hp from the 6-cylinder inline, 5.5ltr unit.

Both the D4 and D6 are available with Duoprop or as inboards with hydraulic transmissions.

The new Duoprop DP drive was developed for the D4 and D6 and offers full hydraulic servo steering and a range of nine propellers for speeds up to 45kts.

The D3 is a five-cylinder aluminium diesel based on the unit used in Volvo's V70 and XC90. Two outputs are offered - 130 and 160hp - from the 215kg unit and the engine is ideal, says Volvo, for sportsboats up to 8m.

The torque reaches 340 Nm at 1750rpm for the larger unit, backing up Ljungqvist's claim that one of the core values of the new Volvo engines is a steep torque curve. "Our engines are quick to get the boat out of the hole, " he commented.

The common-rail fuel system operates at 1600bar and is electronically controlled to deliver fuel through two inlet manifolds per cylinder.

This and four valve technology give, they say, a very efficient fuel flow.

The turbocharger is a VGT model with variable geometry.

"The blades are controlled electronically and the control unit can quickly and precisely adapt the turbo to give maximum power in any situation, " said technical project manager Tommy Kallberg.

The D3 is available with the Aquamatic SX single propeller drive or as an inboard engine with hydraulic gearbox.

The D2-75 is the same engine as the D2-55, but with a wastegate turbocharger and charge air-cooler.

The low-revving unit offers powerful torque and low emissions and comes with a new version of Volvo's Saildrive that increases output to 75hp.

The D12 - introduced in 2000 - now has Volvo's electronic vessel control (EVC), a common system through which the engine, controls, instruments and other functions can communicate and exchange information.

Based on automotive industry CAN-bus technology, the system has been marinised with watertight connections, heavy-duty cables and robust and reliable processors.

But there are no plans, as yet, to make the system wireless. "Not in the foreseeable future, " answered project manager Martin Vansvik when questioned. "Not when you have safety considerations."

The system comes in two versions: one with electronic engine control for larger boats and the other with mechanical engine control for smaller craft.

The new Volvo Penta products will be launched to the UK market at the Southampton Boat Show in September.