A benign claims run has been the salvation of the hard-pressed hull-insurance market but there are at least tentative signs that this may now be changing.

An increase in both the number and cost of total losses and major claims through the first half of this year is reported by the Nordic Association of Marine Insurers (Cefor).

There is also a hint that claims may be on the move in the Lloyd’s of London market, with hull loss ratios — at the admittedly early half-year point — above 2014 and 2013.