The WIN Code: an obligation to know the boat's builder
All pleasure boats registered in France and in Europe are obliged to carry a WIN code permanently and unalterably. This sequence of numbers and letters may seem abstruse, but it makes it possible to know the name of the builder, the country of production, the age of the model, the year and month of construction. Important details, at the time of purchase, to ensure the good faith of the seller. "It is wise for the yachtsman to make sure who actually built the vessel. Especially in the case of dealers who present customised boats on site for example or for second-hand boats" explains Xavier Nicolas, director of the Maritime Affairs yachting mission.
Deciphering the WIN code
Today called WIN code for watercraft identification number, the vessel identification number was previously called HIN then CIN). Consisting of 14 characters, numbers and letters fixed by the ISO 10087 standard, it must be permanently affixed to the transom.
- The first two characters correspond to the country of the marketer. Examples are for France FR, for Italy IT, for Spain ES, for the United Kingdom GB, for Germany DE, for Poland PL, for China CN or for the United States US.
- The following 3 letters designate the manufacturer. This is a code obtained from the authorities at the request of the shipyard and is used for all its vessels. In the case of amateur construction, the code contains the characters AMA. In the case of competition vessels, it contains the letters CPT.
- The next 5 characters, chosen by the manufacturer, correspond to the serial number. They generally allow you to find the model and hull number in this series.
- The following letter corresponds to the month of construction, from A for January to L for December
- The following figure indicates the year of construction
- The last two figures correspond to the year of sale of the first boat of the model indicated
