Alumnus Igor Gotlibovych will skipper a 70ft racing yacht around the world in the Clipper Round the World Race which begins this Sunday.
Born in Ukraine he grew up in Germany, before coming to Churchill College as an undergraduate where he went to complete a PhD in Experimental Atomic Physics.
He said:
“This is one of the things I wanted to do all my life. It’s not just a sailing challenge, it’s also about team leadership, as I am responsible for the crew. It’s a huge responsibility when you consider the adverse weather and conditions we might face.
I have always liked to challenge myself — whether racing in the Fastnet, sailing offshore single-handed, or climbing frozen waterfalls. However, nothing compares to leading a team in the Clipper Race — the scale and diversity of the challenges ahead is unique.”
The Clipper Round the World Race is one of the biggest challenges of the natural world and an endurance test like no other. A record breaking 40,000 nautical mile race around the world on a 70-foot ocean racing yacht — normally the domain of seasoned pros, this supreme challenge is taken on by ordinary, everyday people. Divided into eight legs and 16 individual races, it is the only race in the world where the organisers supply a fleet of twelve identical racing yachts, each with a fully qualified skipper to safely guide the crew.
Read more in the Cambridge News
