Was born in Paris on September 5, 1945; the son of an aristocratic family linked to the history of France. 

As a child, he quickly displayed his passion for the sea and navigating. After completing his military service as a parachutist (from 1967 - 1968), he sets out to sea and circles the world on ships. 

From 1978 to 1980 he works on his project to cross the Atlantic ocean in a row boat. Rowing for 71 days and 23 hours, he covers the 5,200 kilometres which separate Cape Cod, in Newport, Massachusetts (USA) from Ouessant, Brittany, (France). This solo crossing of the Atlantic, which took him from the 10th of July to the 21st of September 1980, won him numerous sports awards. 

In 1984, he took part in a long-distance river race along the waters of the Niger. 

In 1986 he’s off again to try his luck in motorcycle on the adventure-packed Paris-Dakar, and, a year later, it takes him 7 days to cover the distance between Hong Kong and Manila by catamaran. 

In 1991 it takes him 134 days to row solo across the Pacific ocean, setting off a 6 a.m. on the 11th of July from Choshi, a small fishing harbour 300 kilometres from Tokyo, and completing his exploit on the 21st of December in Liwaco harbour, slightly to the north of Portland, Oregon (USA).

Gerard is one of the founding trustees of the Ocean Rowing Society.