Meet Spike - Rapide's Founder

Early Years

Raised on the Exe Estuary in Devon, UK, I was immersed in sailing from a young age, restoring old boats with my mum and racing dinghies through my teens. After a stint playing rugby for the Exeter Chiefs and dabbling in real estate in London, I realised I needed more than just an office job. An opportunity came up, and I took a position on a fishing trawler out of Exmouth, Devon. Even though it was cold, wet, and raw, it reminded me just how much I loved life on the water.

In 2005, I decided to leave the UK and go travelling, setting off for New Zealand in search of adventure and a new direction. It was there, after chartering a small 20-foot boat for three days in NZ that I realised exactly what I wanted to do: sail. What began as wanderlust quickly turned into a full-time career in yachting.

Where it all clicked

My first major sailing job came in the Whitsundays, crewing on old Maxi yachts for charter. It was basic, hot, and endlessly fun, six days a week of cruising through crystal-clear water, epic anchorages, and, at any opportunity, snorkelling and freediving in mesmerising fringing reefs around the islands. It gave me a taste of true freedom and a sense of the lifestyle that sailing could offer. I was hooked.

I headed to Sydney to visit friends and stumbled across a crew notice pinned to the dock office at the CYCA, Australia’s equivalent of the New York Yacht Club. A beautiful Swan 82 was looking for help. I had no CV, no shoes (just flip-flops), and zero plan, except I knew it was a cool boat. I ran up to the local backpacker internet café, quickly typed out a résumé, picked up a polo shirt and some deck shoes, knocked on the hull, and somehow got a trial. That trial turned into a job. I ended up working for one of the Murdoch family, cruising Sydney and sailing in the Pacific with this high-profile family. It opened my eyes. This was more than a dream; it could be a career.

After a year, I felt the itch to race. I headed back to Sydney and, in true style, had another chance encounter at the bar at the CYCA. I got chatting to a guy (who was admittedly very drunk), and by 5 a.m. the next morning, I was solo motoring his famous 80-foot maxi Brindabella across Sydney Harbour, towing a 30-foot Sea Ray behind me. I’d never driven a boat that big before, but somehow I fluked it and put her straight into the travel lift pit, effortlessly and without a scratch. That moment led me to run Andrew Short’s offshore race programs.

Armed with enthusiasm, very little actual knowledge, and a healthy dose of “fake it till you make it,” I was suddenly deep in it, racing corporate charters midweek, offshore races on weekends, culminating in the Sydney to Hobart, where we finished fifth across the line. Following this, Shorty purchased another famous maxi, Shockwave 5, and off we went again. This time I jumped onboard Shockwave in Newport, Rhode Island, competing in the Newport Bermuda Race and, in typical Andrew style, as we crossed the finish line, he told me I was sailing the boat back to Australia from Bermuda. With no autopilot, no real planning, and just six crew, we headed to Panama and crossed the Pacific in 34 days, just in time to make it to Hamilton Island Race Week.

In hindsight, it was one wild ride and a crazy adventure. I learned fast, mostly the hard way, but I loved every minute.

Leveling Up

After Australia, I headed to Europe and joined the Cristabella TP52 program as shore crew on the Audi Med Cup circuit. That was a game-changer for me. Based at the America’s Cup base in Valencia, I worked alongside some of the world’s best riggers, sailmakers, and professional race crews, and sat opposite the famous naval architect Jason Kerr. It sharpened my technical knowledge and lit a fire for high-performance sailing.

I wanted more feathers in my bow, and from there, it was back to superyachts. This time, I headed to the remote Pacific for a year, kitesurfing and diving the nuclear sites in the Marshall Islands. After working under other people for so long, it was finally my turn to captain. After gaining my Yachtmaster qualifications in New Zealand, I headed to Europe, where I captained a CNB 60 and a Ferretti 94, running a two-boat program out of Mallorca.

It was during this time I spotted Phaedo, a bright orange Gunboat that would change everything. It hit me. I thought, “These could be the ultimate in yachting.(And I wasn't wrong!) ” Cruising, racing, it had it all. I knew I needed to be on one.

Enter the Multihull World

I joined the Gunboat 62 Tribe as captain in 2011 and stayed for eight years. That boat, and the owners, changed my life. One month we were offshore racing, the next we were cruising with their family and friends. It brought together everything I loved about sailing—performance, versatility, and community. I made lifelong best friends, who are closer than family, ran complex refits, and built a skillset that combined sailing, engineering, systems management, and leadership.

From Tribe, I launched Multihull Marine, managing several multihulls, advising owners, and acting as owner’s representative for the first Gunboat 68 builds. That hands-on involvement led to an offer from Gunboat to join the team full-time. I relocated to Newport and helped build out their brokerage division, while also leading new build sales. Over five years, I closed more than $49 million in pre-owned sales and over €95 million in new build contracts, working alongside talented builders, designers, and passionate clients.

It was a great chapter, but I felt something was still missing.

Starting Rapide

While I loved my time at Gunboat, I started to notice a gap in the market. Too many brokerages were focused on volume, not value. Others are focused on the top end, and most lack genuine performance multihull expertise. I wanted to build something different, something better.

So in late 2023, I stepped away and launched Rapide Yacht Group. The goal was simple: sell the best boats and brands, provide independent, honest advice backed by deep technical knowledge and real-world sailing experience. Whether you’re buying, selling, or building a yacht, Rapide is here to guide you every step of the way.

We now represent a wide range of high-performance multihulls, Gunboats, Balance Catamarans, Outremer, HH, and a growing number of custom designs. We’ve quickly earned a global reputation for obtaining the best listings and for professionalism, transparency, and results. And we’re just getting started.

What's Next

Rapide remains proudly independent and client-first. We're growing our listing portfolio, expanding our team, and building tools and services that deliver more value which results in not only more sales but also more time on the water for our clients.