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Sun, sea and death in the superyacht industry
SEAN MELEADY relays the story of how Nautilus International is making waves organising the thousands of workers on giant luxury yachts

IT SHOULD be a dream job for many young adventurous British people: working on the superyachts of the rich and famous in sun-kissed destinations. However, rather than a dream, for some the reality is more of a nightmare in a cut throat, unregulated industry where perfection is always expected.

According to research, 500 of these luxurious vessels (superyachts are boats that are longer than 24 metres) were being built around the world in 2018. Each of these requires around 100 staff and the industry employs 37,000 people worldwide. Britain, with its strong maritime history, is the biggest source of labour.

Such is the popularity of this line of work among young people that Southampton Solent University offers degree-level training at its Warsash Superyacht Academy.

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