Skippers and Mates

Bruce Jacobs

Founder & CEO

Born and raised in London, went to boarding school in Scotland, gained an English and Philosophy degree from Manchester University, and set off across the Alps solo from Geneva to the Mediterranean. Once travelled overkand across Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Sailed from when I was 10 and set up Rubicon 3 in 2013. Married with two children, previously lived in the USA, Caribbean and France, but currently based in Portsmouth, UK

 

Ollie Bowden

Head of Sailing & Skipper

Email: Ollie.Bowden@Rubicon3.co.uk

 

Patrick van der Zijden

Skipper

Patrick van der Zijden was born in Holland but escaped the wet and flat for a sunnier place in Europe and now lives in the Algarve. What reflects his laid back but yet serious attitude.With a history in merchant navy and carpentry he is not afraid to tackle an issue when it would arise.

As a freelance skipper he has been sailing and driving different boats in and to various places on the globe. He skippered one of the twelve Clipper 70´s on the 13/14 Clipper round the world yacht race, the longest yacht race in the world. Racing and managing an amateur team of 54 people. He stepped in as skipper for the ‘19 – 20’ race in 2022 after the COVID period and helped racing the boats back to the UK. He also roamed around the Caribbean for a time, and worked on various private sailing yachts as instructor and skipper.

Being a water enthusiast his hobbies are Diving, Kite-surfing, kayaking and exploring the world.

 

 

Ineke van der weijden

Skipper

Ineke is an offshore sailor and skipper, with over 120.000nM of ocean sailing experience in racing and adventure sailing. Recently she completed the Clipper Round the World Race as skipper of team Perseverance, leading the team to an overall 2nd place. When not racing, Ineke loves sailing to interesting destinations off the beaten track.

Prior to her sailing career she has 15+ years of professional experience in project/ program management, working in Europe, the USA and Africa.

Throughout Ineke’s personal and professional life she has been privileged to see much of the world. Some of the most special trips have been on the oceans, both above and below the surface. This has instilled in Ineke a great sense of awe and inspiration. She loves sharing this passion with others, helping them to  come to love the ocean and sailing as much as she does.

 

Pete French

Skipper

I’m a dinghy sailor at heart, as a boy I learnt my skills on the rivers and seas near my home in Plymouth, soon realising Tide is King and never to be complacent about the ocean! I then joined the RAF and they had big dinghies called yachts – I learnt to crew, race and skipper on a range of boats and discovered adventurous training. A life changing event for me was an Atlantic crossing in 1992 using only mediaeval navigation instruments such as the astrolabe and cross staff. With the result we didn’t really know where we were until land was sighted 3 weeks later, similar to Columbus 500 years earlier on his original expedition! But I was hooked on Astro Navigation.

My passion for adventure continued with sail training where I met the (nautical) love of my life – Pegasus a 70ft Bristol Pilot cutter and we sailed together for 15 years until 2023 when she was sold. During my years at sea, I have skippered gaff rigged boats, topsail schooners and modern racing yachts. Every time I sail, I get excited about the voyage and my new ship mates. We join as individuals, all with unique backgrounds, skills, capabilities and aspirations and then the magic begins, we change from being land dwellers to a seafaring family. It is seeing this transformation that brings me back to the sea time and time again. Over 45 years I am fortunate to have sailed in all of our Oceans with wonderful free-spirited people sharing my joy of the sea. When I’m not sailing, I can be found playing backgammon or eating pasties or both.

 

Thorben Reinhardt

Skipper

Thorben is a commercial sailor with a passion for various outdoor sports. Born and raised in Ludwigshafen, Germany, he worked abroad for most of his professional career. After uni, he decided to get skipper tickets and started working in the Mediterranean and Caribbean; he is also a very keen divemaster and river guide. So, it’s all about steering boats and being near or on the water. My favourite food would be a self-caught and collected seafood platter, and the ideal pastime is spent exploring a remote, unspoiled area. Nevertheless, dining in a stylish restaurant with a bit of comfort would not be turned down. Generally interested in history and Geography. Likes to take his banjo out on a campfire.

 

Alex Davies

Skipper

 

Manu Hulme-Parker

Skipper/1st Mate

I was born in Cornwall, but have since lived in various places across the UK and Europe. Spending most of my teenage years growing up in Switzerland, I developed enjoyment from outdoor activities and exercise. However, being far from the sea, I only got into sailing in more recent years. After completing my yacht master at the end of 2021, I developed a love for sailing and wanted to pursue it further and in May 2022 I joined Rubicon 3. Since then my career has progressed pretty quickly, having completed multiple ocean crossings, sailing in the Arctic and across the date line.

 

Alex Guerandel

1st Mate

I was raised in a Cornish shipyard hitting things with a hammer for a living and worked on and around the water and boats for most of my early years.

I also spent a lot of free time diving and climbing around the south coast, with a little sailing on the side.

Always looking for adventure (and suffering somewhat from escalating stupidity), I’ve climbed mountains, competed internationally in martial arts, motorcycled around Europe and run across deserts.

I’ve since spent the last ten years sharing my passion for sailing and adventure working as a freelance Skipper / Cruising Instructor.

 

Michelle van den Bergh

1st Mate

I have lived and sailed all over the world, mainly in the Middle East and the Netherlands. In 2015-2016 I participated in the Clipper Round the World Race crossing the North Pacific and Atlantic. After going on a Rubicon 3 trip with my father in the Caribbean in 2019 I decided to get my Yachtmaster – so I quit my job to pursue sailing. Once I got my Yachtmaster I started sailing with sail training groups along the south coast of the UK such as Ocean Youth Trust South and the Island Trust. I started freelancing in 2023 with Rubicon 3.

 

Konrad Champenois

1st Mate

Hi there, I’m Konrad, I was born and raised in the middle of France. Having spent a good part of my summers in Brittany I decided after uni to move to the sea and worked on shipyards before realising I could sail boats instead of just building them.
You can also find me on top of some mountains singing sea shanties to keep the bears away. But soon enough I will be back on a boat, happily explaining why a line has to be coiled clockwise.

 

Lou Boorman

1st Mate

Lou started sailing at the age of 8 in a tiny dinghy back home in rural West Wales and went on to race internationally, becoming a dinghy British Champion. She decided to make sailing her career at 18 and worked at an oil refinery and hospital to save up for her qualifications. Then one long and cold winter maintenance day, she decided to enter the Round Britain and Ireland race double-handed; becoming the youngest skipper to complete the race as part of the youngest female duo. Since then, she has worked as a commercial skipper, mostly within sail training, providing opportunities for disadvantaged young people. Lou also sails a square-rigged tallship, trains the Clipper round the world crew and still competes in offshore racing, most recently, the Figaro double-handed European Championships. Her sailing also includes expeditions to the Arctic and Atlantic yacht deliveries, although she usually turns a lobster-like colour under the Caribbean sun.

Phoebe Lowrie

1st Mate

After completing a Business degree in Glasgow I moved to Greece for a summer with the aim of returning home to start a graduate programme. Unbeknownst to me while I was in Greece I fell in love with sailing and the idea of living on the water. After completing a few more seasons in the med as a flotilla skipper I gained my Yachtmaster Offshore qualification, and shortly after my Cruising Instructor ticket. I moved to Gibraltar where I started working freelance and progressed to be a Yachtmaster Instructor. I now work freelance full time whether its instructing, deliveries, or adventure sailing. In my spare time I like to ski, dive, longboard or sail around my home waters of North Wales.