Laura Lander spent 15 years travelling the world while working on superyachts. Now, she’s settled back in Umhlanga and shares her skills and experiences with others who have the urge to explore.
Although Laura has been around the world, she is pleased to be back on South African shores. Originally from Westville and now based in Umhlanga with her Australian husband, she enjoys the lifestyle that the area offers. The couple met while working on a superyacht, and are happy to have settled on the North Coast. “Even though there are problems here, we love it! When you travel a lot, you realise that there are problems everywhere,” she says. “You can make a choice to stay and be part of the solution. South Africa is where my heart is; it’s home.”
After school, Laura wasn’t sure what she wanted to do but when she was offered the opportunity to work on a five-star private game reserve after university, her eyes were opened to the world of hospitality. “I just love doing a job that makes people happy,” she says. After some years at luxury game lodges, Laura took a job as a junior stewardess on a superyacht. Her work took her all over the world – off the beaten track in Papua New Guinea, to the sparkling archipelago of Vanuatu and some beautiful areas of India. Some of her personal highlights include swimming with bioluminescence in Palau, and discovering the tropical islands of Seychelles. Although she saw some amazing places over the course of 15 years, it was the people she met that really impacted her. “It was an incredible experience. The best thing for me was the opportunity to live and work with people from different cultures,” she says.
Between the travels and the rewarding moments, however, life at sea wasn’t always easy. “In this industry, you have to be service-minded and comfortable following a lot of rules,” says Laura. “It’s really hard work and the hours are long.”
Laura is now the director of Trilogy Luxury Training in Umhlanga, which offers courses to people looking to enter the superyacht industry, as well as seasoned professionals looking to upskill. Although she has traded work on superyachts for solid ground, she loves still being part of the industry and being able to share her knowledge.
“I love being able to help the next generation of professional superyacht crew members navigate their maritime career path,” she says.
Details: Trilogy Luxury Training; Unit 12 Meridian Park, 39 Meridian Drive, Umhlanga; www.trilogyluxurytraining.co.za; 074 130 6295; [email protected];
IG: @trilogyluxurytraining
