A year after crossing the Vendée Globe finish line as the first-ever Swiss-German skipper to complete the world’s toughest solo race, Oliver Heer is preparing for a new challenge — one that begins not at sea, but on the phone.
Having spent 99 days alone navigating the globe, Heer is now navigating sponsorships, logistics and technology as he builds a more ambitious campaign for The Ocean Race 2027 and the Vendée Globe 2028.
“After finishing the Vendée Globe, I expected things to get easier,” he says. “But in reality, no one is waiting for you. You have to prove yourself all over again – this time off the water.”
On 10 November 2024, Heer, who’s based based between Rapperswil, Switzerland, and the Hamble, UK, joined 39 of the world’s best sailors as they departed. For Heer, the moment remains deeply personal.
“That morning was very emotional, it is one of the most memorable days of my entire life,” he says.
“Reaching the start line represented the culmination of years’ of hard work and the reward for overcoming so many challenges and obstacles to get there. It was a very special moment I will never forget.”
What followed was a sometimes gruelling 99-day solo and unassisted circumnavigation of the globe achieved on a modest budget and with one of the oldest boats in the fleet.
“People see the waves, the wind, and the adventure,” says Heer.
“But what they don’t see is the years of hard work and commitment it takes to even get to the start line. It is a much bigger challenge than the actual race itself.”
Twelve months later, Heer and his team are working to build a new campaign for The Ocean Race 2027 and the next Vendée Globe. The team goal is a bigger, better, faster and stronger campaign. That will mean competing on a modern foiling-design IMOCA – a much faster, complex and more competitive boat capable of challenging the race leaders. Heer has already identified a suitable vessel, earmarked a new campaign base in UK, and assembled a team of business, sailing and technical experts to help reach his objective.
“We’re committed to racing with purpose, flying the flag for Swiss values, supporting climate science and extending our sustainability initiatives to new audiences.”
How to build a Vendée Globe campaign
A typical campaign is a selection of carefully chosen races over a three year period, culminating in the world’s toughest ocean race: the Vendée Globe.
The qualifying races are a mix of solo, double-handed and team-racing events, including The Ocean Race, a multi-leg, round-the-world race sailed as a team. This combination is designed to challenge the skipper, encourage sailors to share experiences and provide opportunities for a new generation of offshore racers to gain exposure to the competitive IMOCA circuit.
Sailors will accrue points for each race they compete in, which will count towards the gruelling qualification criteria for the Vendée Globe 2028.
The new four-year cycle which marks the countdown to Oliver Heer’s next Vendée Globe campaign has begun with the first sailing races planned for early 2026. But as Heer admits, it’s not all plain sailing.
The minimum funding target has not yet been reached even though two new Swiss sponsors have joined a group of long-standing partners.
To officially launch the boat in spring 2026, the team still needs to welcome additional commercial partners, and for this next campaign, Heer is adopting a new, more flexible sponsorship model. Unlike many ocean racing projects that rely on a single title sponsor, his approach offers several partnership tiers, designed to make collaboration accessible to a wider range of Swiss and global companies while maintaining strong commercial value and visibility.
“We’re building a professional, commercially viable project,” Heer explains. “Our goal is to create genuine value for our partners and deliver a real return on their investment.”
Despite the challenges, Heer’s determination remains unshaken. The new campaign is live, with a clear ambition for a more competitive entry in the Vendée Globe 2028 and to take part in The Ocean Race 2027.
“I believe in progress,” he says. “Doing the same thing twice, even at a high level, would be stagnation. I want to go further, faster, bigger and stronger – and to represent Swiss-German excellence on the global stage.”
The post “No one is waiting for you”: Swiss sailor Oliver Heer’s race for sponsorship appeared first on Marine Industry News.
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