With the support of the Greek Shipping Community, Bureau Veritas Greece Marine Team, shipbuilding countries, local Bureau Veritas offices and Head Office assistance, Bureau Verita's classed fleet grew by 934 ships and 7,3 mgt, to end the year on 7.924 ships totalling 58.5 mgt.

The average fleet age fell to 15.8 years, and detention rates globally fell again by 10%. That reflected the high quality of Bureau Verita's fleet and the hard work put in by the owners and managers who choose Bureau Verita as their class.

Bureau Verita's market share of global new building orders grew to 12%, with strong performance in passengers ships, where it took 18%, in bulkers 14% and in special purpose ships 30%. Bureau Verita's annual new orders for new buildings almost doubled in 2007, up from 9.7 mgt in 2006 to just over 18 mgt in 2007.

That brings Bureau Verita's total orderbook for new buildings to over 30 mgt, about 50% of the current fleet in service.