Meet the Clipper 2017-18 Race crew: Gerardo Injoque

Name: Gerardo ‘Jerry’ Injoque
Age: 40
Nationality: Peruvian
Occupation: Executive
Legs: Full circumnavigation
Team: Team Gaëtan

A first for the Clipper Race, crew member Gerardo Injoque will make history this year as the first Peruvian to circumnavigate the world’s oceans in eleven editions of the Clipper Race.

“I’m excited!” says Gerardo. “Given that sailing is not very common in my country being a Peruvian circumnavigator makes me a member of an elite club for which I am very proud. It is a dream come true for someone who has devoured all stories about circumnavigating the world: Joshua Slocum, Vito Dumas, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Bernard Moitessier, and so on.”

A sailor back home in Peru, Gerardo admits he is ‘crazy’ about sailing and his dream is to one day sail around the world on his own boat. After reading an article about the race in the Financial Times, Gerardo signed up for a leg of the race to experience offshore racing, but during his race training soon realized that one leg would not scratch his circumnavigating itch.

Recently completing his Level 3 training, Gerardo said: “The experience has been amazing! I’m impressed by the Clipper Race’s professionalism, especially in regards to safety. There is a ton of sailing wisdom everywhere, from the training materials to the skippers who are very knowledgeable.

“I have been sailing regularly for the past six years and have taken courses in many countries, nowhere have I found a higher attention to safety as I have with the Clipper Race. For example I had practiced man overboard maneuvers in the past but never with a dummy or being myself a rescue swimmer. Also I had never activated a life raft before or practiced how to board one… despite having a life raft in my boat. I am becoming a better sailor and that’s just with training.Also the Clipper 70s are pure sea broncos!

“My expectation is that the race will be extremely hard, however there is a lot I can take from this experience and use it to become a better person,” he added.

Gerardo says that one of the highlights of his race experience so far has been meeting unique individuals from around the world during training with his fellow Clipper Race crew.

“We may come from different backgrounds but what we have in common is the love for the sea and the desire to achieve something remarkable, to live our lives differently,” he said. “Skippers are obviously no different. I was introduced to my skipper – Gaëtan Thomas – at Crew Allocation and was impressed by his passion and energy. And finally the cherry on the cake: my crew is extremely competitive! So far this experience has all the ingredients to be the adventure of a lifetime… and what is life without adventure?”

There are still opportunities to join the Clipper 2017-18 Race crew, both for the whole circumnavigation and individual legs, though places are going fast.

If you would like to come on board and race with crew from more than 40 different nationalities like Gerardo who are already training for the challenge, click here.