Swiss skipper Oliver Heer joins The Ocean Race Atlantic 2026 line-up
Swiss skipper Oliver Heer has confirmed his entry for The Ocean Race Atlantic this September. Launching his 2028 campaign today (17 February 2026), the Vendée Globe veteran is shifting gears from solo adventure to high-performance team racing.
Since becoming the first Swiss-German sailor to complete the solo, non-stop Vendée Globe in 2024, Oliver Heer Ocean Racing is moving into a new chapter. The team has announced they will line up in New York on September 1st for The Ocean Race Atlantic, a brand new, fully crewed transatlantic race.
From Solo to Fully Crewed
For a skipper who spent 99 days alone at sea, this race represents a major evolution. This will be the "first major milestone" of the new campaign and the "first opportunity for Heer to test his team and the boat" against the highly competitive IMOCA fleet.
While the ultimate goal remains the solo 2028 Vendée Globe, this fully crewed Atlantic sprint is the crucial first step in a campaign built to "compete at the highest level of team and solo ocean racing."
A "Formula One" Upgrade
To match these ambitions, the team has secured a high-performance foiling IMOCA. Formerly campaigned by fellow Swiss sailor Justine Mettraux (TeamWork-Team Snef), the boat finished 8th in the 2024 Vendée Globe.
"Moving to a foiling IMOCA is the equivalent of stepping from a high-performance sports car into a Formula One racing machine," the team stated. The boat is currently undergoing a comprehensive refit in Lorient, France, with Team Beyou Racing before heading to the team’s new base in Gosport, UK.
"Bigger, Better, Stronger"
"Crossing the finish line of my first Vendée Globe was never the end of the story – it was only the beginning," said Oliver Heer. "I was very clear that I wanted the second campaign to be bigger, better, stronger and faster."
The campaign is supported by new partners, including the Bossard Group (Technical Partner) and Burgerstein Vitamine. The team’s bold move to move away from a single title partner and establish an innovative portfolio sponsorship approach is already gaining traction. Several founding partners have been secured to launch the campaign, while opportunities remain open to new partners wishing to join the journey towards The Ocean Race 2027 and the Vendée Globe 2028.
Under the banner "Embrace The Challenge," Heer is also working with mental performance coach Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Jenewein to apply elite mindset strategies to this new phase of performance.
With a fast boat and a move to fully crewed racing, Oliver Heer is ready to take on the Atlantic this September.