The Ocean Race: Heer like Herrmann - first in the team, then Vendée Globe

The team name is the programme: "Embrace the Challenge". Swiss offshore sailor Oliver Heer, who competed in his first Vendée Globe as a soloist in 2024/2025, is aiming for a like Boris Herrmann and Team Malizia storm the team summits of international sailing: The Ocean Race Atlantic This year and The Ocean Race 2027, for which the 38-year-old has now presented the crew.

With an international crew to the team summits

Heer has initially put together an experienced team for the Ocean Race Atlantic, which starts on 1 September. The team members are 44-year-old former Ocean Race winner and Nacra 17 Olympian Marie Riou from France, who won in 2017/2018 with Charles Caudrelier's Dongfeng Race Team. They will be joined by 46-year-old four-time Ocean Race participant and rower Liz Wardley (Papua New Guinea/Australia) and Australian paddleboard world champion Lincoln Dews. The Australian already took part in the Ocean Race Europe with the Canadian team last summer.

Oliver Heer is aware of the XL challenges he faces with his newly formed crew. He says: "There will be obstacles. There always are when you set yourself high goals. But that's exactly what we're here for. We accept the challenge and will tackle one of the biggest adventures in sport together."

Taking part in The Ocean Race has always been a dream: as a child I obsessively followed the Whitbread, later the Volvo Ocean Race." Oliver Heer

As one of the few Swiss skippers in the history of the most famous team race around the world, Oliver Heer wants to follow in the footsteps of legendary Swiss sailor Pierre Fehlmann. Fehlmann also left his mark on the team race around the world - then still known as the Whitbread Round the World Race - for 17 years. Between 1977 and 1994, he was synonymous with Swiss offshore ambitions for 17 years.

The Ocean Race in stern water by Pierre Fehlmann

After many hard-won fourth places, highs and lows, Fehlmann's greatest successes were third place in 1989/1990 with "Merit" and second place with "Merit Cup" in the then Maxi class in 1993/1994. Oliver Heer, just six years old at the time of Fehlmann's last success, still remembers this. And also of the years that followed, he says: "I bought every sailing magazine I could find and imagined what it would be like to sail around the world as part of a team. Now to lead my own campaign in this race is something very special."

Pierre Fehlmann has inspired generations of Swiss sailors and helped to popularise Swiss ocean sailing." Oliver Heer

The opportunity to continue the Fehlmann story, says Oliver Heer, "means a lot to me". The Swiss team is currently undergoing a transformation from a soloist racing team to a team challenge. Heer explained on The Ocean Race course: "The Vendée Globe taught me a lot about perseverance and independence, but The Ocean Race is about bringing people together and working as a team." Success, he says, depends on trust, communication and the ability to get the best out of everyone on board. That's what excites me the most."

The Ocean Race: with a strong boat into the race

Oliver Heer's Embrace the Challenge team operates with the already presented Imocawith compatriot Justine Mettraux, who finished eighth as the best soloist at the last Vendée Globe. He will be joined by an international team for the team races.

Oliver Heer knows that his team will be competing against some of the biggest names in the sport and financially stronger racing teams. He is happy to accept the role of the underdog. His conviction: "We will be one of the younger campaigns in the fleet and our boat will not be the newest, but we have already shown that determination, preparation and teamwork can make up for lost ground."

We are building an ambitious, international team that wants to prove what is possible." Oliver Heer

In all team activities, however, Heer also has his eye on the long-term goal The Ocean Race campaign is part of the preparation for his second Vendée Globe challenge in 2028. Heer is convinced that the team challenges offer the opportunity to "gain invaluable experience sailing an Imoca yacht with a full crew at the highest level".

Heer does it like Boris Herrmann and Team Malizia

Prior to the start of the crewed circumnavigation in The Ocean Race in January 2027, the team will take part in The Ocean Race Atlantic in September this year. The team transat provides a good opportunity to test systems, optimise team performance and finalise crew selection.

Here, as with the international team composition, Oliver Heer is following the same path that Boris Herrmann and Team Malizia have taken before and have taken again: first come the coveted team races including team and boat optimisation this year and next, followed by the ultimate solo endurance test at the Vendée Globe 2028.

"The Atlantic Race will help us find the right people and build the chemistry needed to perform under pressure," said Heer. "We're creating something bigger than a sailing team - we're building a group of people from different backgrounds and nationalities who all share the same goal." The first test is less than three months away.

The Ocean Race Atlantic starts on 1 September

The starting signal for the Atlantic sister of the mother race, The Ocean Race, will be given on 1 September. Boris Herrmann's Team Malizia will be taking part with the "Malizia 4", which will still be almost new at the time, as will Oliver Heer's Team Embrace the Challenge. The Paul Meilhat Sailing Team (France) and Kojiro Shiraishi's DMG Mori Sailing Team from Japan are also on the entry list, which has just unveiled its new rocketFrancesca Clapcich's 11th Hour Racing team and New Zealander Conrad Colman, who has lived in France since 2008, with his MSIG Europe team.