LADY VICTORIA Yacht Charter

Captain: Timothy Laughridge

Captain Timothy Laughridge | American
A “captain’s captain,” Timothy has more than four decades of professional experience and holds a U.S. Coast Guard 1600/3000 gross tons Master’s license. Timothy has logged more than 300,000 sea miles, done multiple transatlantic and transpacific crossings, and completed two global circumnavigations. He has captained numerous large vessels—both sail and power—competed in prestigious regattas and offshore races throughout the world, and overseen the construction or major refit of a variety of yachts. Additional accomplishments include being one of the founders of the high-profile Bucket Regattas in Newport (originally in Nantucket) and St. Barth’s. When not in command of LADY VICTORIA, you may cross his path around the globe participating in the many Superyacht regattas. Hailing from New England, Timothy is very familiar with the cruising grounds spanning from Nova Scotia to as far south as Key West. He has had many successful charters over the years in Florida, the Caribbean and the Bahamas. During the 9+ years that Timothy has been working with LADY VICTORIA's charter program, he has completed over 50 successful charters, and has garnered a reputation for keeping his boats in impeccable condition both in the guest areas and below deck. Timothy was instrumental in sourcing the newer larger “LADY VICTORIA “ and overseeing the new upgrades. Captain Timothy brings together an experienced, professional, compatible, and fun-loving crew, and with Timothy's creative and energetic flair for entertaining, the crew of LADY VICTORIA aim to exceed the expectations of the most demanding clients.

Chef Gaylinn Fast | American
Chef Gaylinn has been with LADY VICTORIA for over six years, after a career was in the hospitality industry. She owned a successful boutique bed and breakfast for 10 years in Litchfield County, Connecticut, as well as an event, DJ, and catering company. Gaylinn has worked for and with many celebrity and published chefs and was a food stylist for print media. Gaylinn is a graduate of PLANTLAB Culinary, and she creates dishes that reflect her extensive traveling adventures. She enjoys sourcing the fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients for the menus she creates on LADY VICTORIA. Her specialties include organic garden-to-table cuisine, plant-based, raw foods, Mediterranean cuisine, baking, and specialty menus based on her guest’s preferences. In her time away from LADY VICTORIA, Gaylinn enjoys decorating and gardening at her home in Connecticut and foraging for wild edibles through the beautiful woodlands near her home.

Mate Joe Bittman | American
Joe is a native Floridian with 10+ years of yachting experience ranging from smaller vessels all the way up to super-yachts. He is a graduate of Florida Air Academy and during his service in the United States Coast Guard, Joe has assisted in dozens of rescue operations including in New Orleans, LA during Hurricane Katrina. Guest safety is of the upmost importance to Joe. He has extensive seamanship experience managing crew, safety operations and protocols, compliance, yacht maintenance, and program operations. Joe strives to provide a 5-star charter experience for all guests onboard LADY VICTORIA.

Stewardess Liga Sture | Latvian
Liga has an extensive experience from stewardess and deckhand positions held on a variety of notable charter yachts including M/Y CETACEA 140’ Feadship; M/Y B&B 130’ Westport; M/Y PLAN A, 130’ Westport; S/Y AXIA, 123’ Palmer Johnson , and S/Y ZENJI, 183’ Perini Navi; and M/Y APRICITY, 163’ Mangusta. Outside of the yachting experience, Liga’s background includes waitressing, bartending, and customer service. Liga is dedicated to delivering superior guest service, is meticulously organized, and has a warm and easy-going personality. She looks forward to treating you to a wonderful charter holiday onboard LADY VICTORIA. Liga’s hobbies include sailing, sky diving, scuba diving, archery, painting, traveling, photography, fitness, and reading.

Rotational Engineer Daniel Sampiero | American
Born and raised in Coconut Grove Florida, Dan began sailing at the age of six, and became enthralled with racing one designs, small keel boats, and all manner of making a sailing vessel go fast. His dedication and focus to sailboat speed and racing performance led to his first summer job at fourteen as a sailmaker’s apprentice. Dan’s thrill-seeking nature compelled him to pursue auto-cross, then motorcycle racing, and eventually, he settled on kitesurfing to satiate his need for adrenaline. In that time worked in the motorcycle industry, then transitioned into communication technology, and finally business to business sales. After over ten years in retail sales management and training Dan decided to cut off his tie, trade his dress shoes for no-shoes and took a job as captain on charter boats in the Florida Keys. Five years later, Dan earned his Divemaster rating, and covered over 15,000 nautical miles under sail, and was Captain for over 70 week-long charter excursions in Florida, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Dan still loves sailing but has a deep appreciation for the utility of all watercraft. As a member of Captains for Clean Water, Dan comes to our team with a passion for conservation and environmental stewardship.

Rotational Engineer Jon Lynch | American
Jon has 20+ years of experience as captain and engineer on both private and charter yachts ranging between 45-150 feet. The majority of his time has been spent in the Caribbean, Bahamas, and the East Coast of the United States. Relief work has expanded Jon’s range of experiences on different types of yachts, systems, and marine electronics over the last several years.