Swiss offshore sailor Oliver Heer has built his career around one of sailing’s most demanding arenas: solo ocean racing. Raised between Switzerland and the United Kingdom, Heer’s connection to the sea began early, driven by a fascination with the endurance, resilience and precision required to race beyond the horizon. Today, he stands among a new generation of offshore sailors redefining modern ocean racing through determination, technical expertise and relentless progression.

Before launching his own IMOCA campaign, Heer spent years immersed in elite offshore racing environments, most notably with Alex Thomson and the HUGO BOSS racing team. Starting as a junior crew member before progressing to Boat Captain, he played a key role in managing and preparing one of the most technically advanced IMOCA programmes in the world, sailing more than 40,000 nautical miles in the process.

In 2022, Heer took the next step in his own journey, acquiring an IMOCA 60 with the ambition of competing in the Vendée Globe, the world’s most demanding solo offshore race. What followed was a campaign shaped as much by perseverance as performance. Technical setbacks, funding challenges and race incidents became defining moments in a project built on resilience and long-term ambition rather than instant success.

That determination culminated in the 2024–25 Vendée Globe, where Heer became the first Swiss-German sailor to complete the non-stop solo circumnavigation. Crossing the finish line marked more than the completion of a race. It represented years of preparation, setbacks overcome and a campaign driven by belief in continual progression.

Now entering a new chapter, Oliver Heer Ocean Racing is building towards the Vendée Globe 2028 with renewed ambition and a significantly strengthened programme. The team has secured a latest-generation foiling IMOCA platform, designed by VPLP and originally launched in 2018, bringing proven offshore pedigree and a major step forward in performance potential.

Renamed Yorokobu, meaning “joy” or “embracing the moment” in Japanese, the IMOCA reflects the next evolution of Heer’s campaign. The boat features a striking visual identity inspired by Southern Ocean weather systems, pressure lines and the constantly shifting environments faced offshore. More than a redesign, it signals the transition from survival and qualification towards competitive progression at the highest level of solo ocean racing.

The expanded programme includes a full international race calendar leading into The Ocean Race Atlantic and the wider IMOCA Globe Series, with a growing technical and shore team supporting development, optimisation and performance analysis across every stage of the campaign.

Alongside his racing programme, Heer has introduced the philosophy “Embrace The Challenge”, a mindset shaped by life offshore where adaptability, composure and resilience become essential tools for survival and performance. The phrase reflects both his approach to ocean racing and the broader outlook behind the team’s evolving identity.

Oliver Heer Ocean Racing | Vendee Globe

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