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 is the Dutchman in the team, 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.

 

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.

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

Dhara Thompson

Skipper

When not sailing professionally, I very much enjoy recreational sailing on my own boat, cooking tasty vegan food and growing chilli plants. I love seeing people learn and get more confident at sea, and how wild and varied the sea itself is. I’m a firm believer in the positive effect that sailing and being on the water can have on mental health and have worked with sailing charities in this area. More into dogs, rowing, cycling than cats, outboards, driving.

Simon Pierce

Skipper

Late developer in sailing, catching the bug to sail more after furling the “Royal” sails in a Force 10 at 02:00hrs on a 600T tall ship (at + 40 years old). Now as a semi retired Chartered Mechanical Engineer and qualified as a YachtMaster Ocean, Yachtmaster Instructor, RYA SRC radio, Diesel and First Aid Instructor, loves to sail in cold windy places. Favourite sailing ground is Eastern Greenland followed by the West coast of Scotland. Has also sailed in Iceland and Antarctica and a few warmer places in between!

Lifelong mountaineer (Mountain Leader Qualified) with experience all over UK, Alps, Pyrenees , Sierra Nevada (US) and a few strolls in Greenland!

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.

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.