Mike Worthington-Leese has always had a passion for ships and the sea, and joined the Merchant Navy upon leaving school, working on cargo ships (before containers!), tankers and sail-training vessels. He came ashore after five years and took a Ship Science degree at Southampton University and then worked as a surveyor for Lloyd's Register for a further five years. Circumstances led him into a period of small ship building and yard management, before joining John Winterbotham as a partner in his surveying firm, some 25 years ago. Mike is now a senior director at Winterbothams Ltd, which provides technical supervision for superyacht projects of all sizes, as well as complete surveying, valuation and legal services.