Meet the Team

Rob Cage

Craftinsure Founder

Rob develops the business, ensuring Craftinsure remains the best online boat insurance provider in the UK. He is also involved with claims on a daily basis.

Rob is a Dinghy sailor at heart, he learnt to sail in a Snipe crewing for his father. His first boats include a Mirror and Miracle before many years racing Scorpions. Rob spent many years campaigning a Fireball, competing at many World Championships both as helm and as crew. He also raced International 14s back in the day, again both as helm and crew.

He raced a Thames A Rater from Thames Sailing Club and with the same crew he also sailed Hunter 7o7, a small racing keelboat, on the Hamble.

Rob sailed Fireflies with his daughters when they were also Oppie sailing and with their campaigns going well, the family RIB allowed the whole family to get out on the racecourse. As the girls grew a Merlin followed and they had a good season last year enjoying a number of Merlin open meetings. Rob has always had a Laser for Frostbite sailing. This led him into Laser Masters sailing in which he competes at an International level.

In 2020, Rob managed to compete at two major Regattas, the Laser Nationals and the Moth Nationals.

Rod Daniel

Underwriting Manger

After over 30 years with Eagle Star Insurance in different marine insurance roles, including head of Navigators & General, it was time for a change! Having known and worked with the directors previously, and realising that Craftinsure was way ahead of its time, Rod was delighted to have the opportunity of joining them in 2006.

Rod’s first sailing boat was a Mirror. His earliest sailing memory was crewing a 420 at the Sidmouth Sailing Club and his first sailing boat was a Mirror. Solo Dinghy racing has been his most recent favourite and also spending a few days sailing up the east coast of Sweden on a Dufour 41.

His most memorable sailing experience was participating in the Round the Island Race.

Mark Lee

Founder and Managing Director

Manages the business on a daily basis

Mark learnt to sail in Hong Kong within the Royal Engineer’s Bosun dinghies at Fort Stanley. Born in Dover, having spent most of his childhood there, he progressed to racing in Mirrors, Toppers and Streakers.

Latterly Mark sailed out of Hythe & Saltwood in Kent when he started sailing Scorpions in the early 80’s. This was also when Mark first met Craftinsure’s co-founder Rob Cage. He started crewing on bigger boats – principally out of Burnham-on-Crouch on an MG38, but also in the Solent on an OOD34 including a Fastnet.

Mark moved North and started racing Sonata keelboats on the river Medway where they had the largest fleet in the country. He took the Sonata “Exposition” to Strangford Lough twice and to Scotland for the infamous 2002 Nationals at Royal Tay.

Mark never lost sight of his dinghy sailing roots, and for a time owned a Contender and today races a Wayfarer. When he is not cruising his Beneteau Oceanis 34

Katy Phillips

Claims Handler

Katy deals with day-to-day claims from the initial notification, communicating with customers, repairers and surveyors to ensure each and every claim is promptly dealt with.

Katy learnt to sail an Oppy aged 10 following a caravan holiday to The Lakes. After sighting a dolphin, she headed to the local sailing club when she got home and it all started from there.  She crewed for club members in Mirrors and National 12s at first before completing a ‘learn to sail’ course at the club in an Oppy. Her parents bought a Topper. 

Katy soon got the racing bug competing at club level before then progressing to regional and then national level in the Topper.  

Katy was selected for the GBR National Squad in the Topper and was lucky enough to be selected to represent GBR in the Topper World Championships in Dubai 1996.  She also had a stint in a 420, laser radial and a streaker, plus the occasional sail in other dinghy classes when the opportunity arose. 

Fast forward several years, Katy helmed an RS200 for many years at local, national and European events.

More recently, Katy has been involved with Race Coaching the Tera Northern Squad from a RIB and enjoying motorboats and narrowboats.

Katy now owns an Optimist and Graduate so she can get out on the water with her children.

Natasha Whiting

Senior Underwriter

Natasha joined Craftinsure in 2021 and is our senior underwriter. Her main focus is dealing with customer and underwriting enquiries, whilst also maintaining and looking after our social media pages. With a background in finance and insurance, Natasha brings vast experience and knowledge to her role, and we’re delighted to have her on board.

Natasha was brought up with a keen interest in boats, with her father being in the Royal Navy you can imagine there were no shortage of expeditions to Naval events and dockyards, she visited the historic dockyard in Portsmouth fairly recently as seen in her picture. Outside of work, you may catch her at the Southampton Boat Show each year where she eyes up the Princess yacht’s she would love to own – maybe one day!

Georgie Cage

Claims Handler

Georgie also deals with day-to-day claims from the initial notification, communicating with customers, repairers and surveyors to ensure each and every claim is promptly dealt with.

Picking up the sailing bug from her father, starting out crewing with him in a Firefly at Thames sailing club. They then took part in racing RS Feva’s and managed to come 2nd in the World Championships in Italy!