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MSRC: Hat Trick ship handling scenarios for pilots as well as for masters and ofÞ cers, highly realistic tug escort and tug assisted berthing and unberthing operations with large vessels, and to run the necessary simulation exercises in order to validate each indi- vidual project.The Corporation of Lower St. Lawrence Pilots (CLSLP) is a private entity and MSRC is one of its subsidiaries, owned completely and solely by the group of pilots. According to Racicot, the initial discussions surrounding the acquisition of the simulator never included making the MSRC a pro Þ t center for the CLSLP. He explains, ?However, we are keeping the MSRC busy with other business that helps us absorb some costs, but our pilots and apprentices have always the prior- ity when establishing the training schedule.? Nevertheless, MSRC annually trains more than 350 professionals from dif- ferent pilotage districts in Canada, USA, and Brazil, as well as from the Canadian Navy and some international Ship Owners such as Euronav. Racicot adds, ?We are having discussions with other groups of pilots from Central and South America.? DEEP KNOWLEDGE: WIDE RANGE OF FOCUS The nature of MSRC?s work also remains as wide and varied asits knowledge base is deep. Each port development study is a project on its own. It is not unusual for MSRC to take on as many as 10 different projects, each taking 20 to 30 days of simulation (for Port Development project, each day of simu- lation requires at least 3 to 4 days of work prior/or after the project) in a given year. This augments the MSRC core mis- sion of research speci Þ cally performed for its CLSLP parent. ?These include tasks involving developing new applications adapted to our own district for the PPU?s, studies on the in- creasing sizes of vessels for some of our ports and other simi- lar functions,? says Racicot, whose own CV includes years at sea spent as a navigation of Þ cer for an oil major, as well as a BBA ( Þ nance) from Laval University and an MBA from the Université du Québec à Montréal in 2007. He joined MSRC as Director in 2006.Rounding out MSRC?s offerings are signed MOUs with oth- er organizations such as the Canadian Hydrographic Service, Environnement Canada, Defence Research and Development Maritime Simulation and Resource Center (MSRC) located in Quebec, Canada www.maritimeprofessional.com | Maritime Professional | 37