General News
8 May, 2026
Dream comes true
A BOY’S dream to design superyachts has come true with a young Cairns man winning a lucrative scholarship and internship with one of the world’s most foremost boat builders.
Ethan White is now in the depths of study at Lürssen Yachts in Croatia – just six weeks after applying and being accepted.
It’s the first time an Australian has been accepted for the program.
It’s a far cry from the day he was photographed as a 13-year-old beside the Dorothea III superyacht at Port Douglas.
“I remember walking through the marina and seeing these large yachts up close, the sheer size, detail and presence of them made a big impression on me,” the 20-year-old said.
“There’s a photo of me from that day standing in front of one of the yachts, and looking back now, it feels like a bit of a turning point,” he said.
Never did Mr White ever think his dream would come true.
“At that stage, I didn’t have a clear career direction, but I knew I wanted to be involved in the maritime industry. That moment definitely helped shape that path.”
The former St Augustine’s College student planned to apply for the Lürssen Foundation scholarship program in 2028, as he thought it would be better to complete more of his maritime engineering degree, specialising in naval architecture, at the Australian Maritime College, University of Tasmania.
‘No risk, no story’
“However, two days before the application deadline, I was sitting in my room looking at a poster on my wall – an image of a yacht with the words ‘No Risk, No Story – take the risk or lose the chance’.
“I kept reading it over and over and it just clicked. If there was ever a time to take a risk, it was now.
“That meant putting university on hold, putting life in Australia on pause and committing to the possibility of moving to the other side of the world to pursue something I had always been interested in, working with one of, if not, the world’s leading yacht builders Lürssen Yachts.
“From that moment, I fully committed. With only a short time before the deadline, I put everything into the application and interview process.
“When I received the offer, it was a mix of pride and relief, a real sense that the work I had put in, and the decision to take that risk, had paid off.
Just four scholarships
Mr White is one of four scholars globally for 2026 and the first student from both the Australian Maritime College (AMC) and Australia to receive the scholarship.
The scholarship runs from April to October 2026 and includes:
Scholarship ceremony and program launch in Rijeka, Croatia
Internship at the Lürssen Design Center Kvarner (April-June)
Shipyard visits in Germany (June)
Summer school at the University of Connecticut, USA (July-August)
Ongoing research and development work, concluding with a final presentation in Germany (October).
“I’ll be attending a summer school at the University of Connecticut from mid-July to mid-August. It’s a chance to develop our research further, collaborate with other scholars and gain exposure to leading universities across the United States.”
Mr White’s interest in the marine industry started very early.
“I grew up in Cairns and a lot of that comes down to my dad. We were always on the water and I spent pretty much every spare moment around boats. That environment naturally built a strong connection to the ocean.
Maritime interests
“As I got older, that interest started to shift from just being on the water to understanding what was behind it and how vessels are designed, how they perform and what actually makes them work.
“That’s where I started to combine that passion with the more technical side, using problem-solving and engineering to understand and improve what I was seeing.
“For me, it became about combining brain power with something I genuinely enjoy. That’s what led me into maritime engineering and naval architecture, it felt like the perfect balance between a personal passion and a professional career.
“The superyacht side of the industry came from that same curiosity, the scale, complexity and level of engineering involved in those vessels is something that really stood out to me.
“What’s even more surreal now is that I have the opportunity to work with a company like Lürssen, where vessels can reach up to 180m in length, around four times the size of Dorothea III, which is approximately 45m.
“To go from standing in front of a yacht like that as a kid, to now being involved at that level of engineering, is something I still find hard to fully process.
“It’s an incredible opportunity, experience and feeling all in one, and to be honest, I still haven’t fully grasped the scale of it yet.
“Being the first from Australia to join the program is something that means a lot to me, even if not many people realise it, I know what it represents and I’m proud to be representing myself, my family and the Australian Maritime College on a global stage.
Encourages others
“I also want to put this achievement out there. It’s something that only happens once a year and I think it’s important for people to see that pathways like this are actually possible.
“I’ve never been the smartest person in the room, and I’m still not, but I’ve always backed my ability to communicate, to put myself forward and to take opportunities when they come up.
“Those soft skills can take you a long way. If anything, I want people, especially younger students with similar interests, to see my journey and realise that they can do something similar.
“If they can see the path, they can follow it and hopefully take it even further”.
