Oliver Heer Ocean Racing

What Oliver Heer Ocean Racing does

Oliver Heer Ocean Racing is a privately held Swiss-German ocean racing campaign organization founded in December 2021 by skipper Oliver Heer. The company fields a foiling IMOCA (International Monohull Open Class Association) monohull yacht named "Embrace The Challenge," originally launched as Charal in 2018 and acquired from the TeamWork-Team Snef program that finished 8th in the 2024 Vendée Globe under Justine Mettraux. The yacht is designed by VPLP and engineered to fly above the water surface on hydrofoils for substantially higher speeds than conventional IMOCA hulls, with a scooped bow optimized to ride over waves and a polyvalent architecture suited to varied conditions including the Southern Ocean.

The business competes in elite solo and crewed offshore events, having completed the 2024-25 Vendée Globe solo non-stop circumnavigation in 29th place after 99 days at sea, and is now building toward the Vendée Globe 2028. The current campaign pipeline includes The Ocean Race Atlantic (2025, New York to Lorient, 3,200 nautical miles), The Ocean Race 2027 (multi-stage global circumnavigation from Alicante), and the Vendée Globe 2028. A small in-house team of approximately six people is supported by contracted elite sailors and is operationally based across Gosport (UK), Port La Forêt (France), and Switzerland.

Revenue is generated through a portfolio sponsorship model rather than a single title partner, supplemented by a Club 100 individual membership programme, a Business Club for corporate engagement, and fee-based skipper appearances ("Book Ollie"). Corporate partners disclosed include Bossard Group (Technical Partner), Burgerstein Vitamine (nutrition, continuing partnership from the first campaign), Henri Lloyd (apparel), Jenewein (food and beverage), and Katadyn Group (water filtration). The company also operates a climate-conscious data collection programme in association with IMOCA and the University of Caen. The primary legal entity is Oliver Heer Ocean Racing Ltd., incorporated in England, with wholly owned Swiss (AG) and French (SAS) subsidiaries.

Name

Oliver Heer Ocean Racing

Legal name

Oliver Heer Ocean Racing Ltd.

Website

https://oliverheer.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Oliver Heer Ocean Racing is a privately held Swiss-German ocean racing campaign that fields a foiling IMOCA yacht in elite solo and crewed offshore events, including the Vendée Globe and The Ocean Race, funded by a portfolio of corporate sponsors and individual supporters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Offshore Sailing / Ocean Racing

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721)

SIC

Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro primary industry

Sailing & Water Sports Teams/Clubs (Sailing, Rowing, Surfing) (MPAKABAH)

Keywords

• IMOCA ocean racing
• Offshore sailing campaigns
• Vendée Globe competition
• Yacht racing sponsorships
• Professional sailing team

Headquarters

HQ city

Rapperswil-Jona

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorship: Portfolio sponsorship model with multiple partners providing funding and in-kind support. Founding partners Bossard Group (Technical Partner) and Burgerstein Vitamine (continuing partner) have been secured. Innovative approach seeking multiple partners rather than single title partner.
2. Club 100 Membership: Private supporter community with 12-month memberships offering events, experiences, and sailing activities for Platinum Members. Membership contributions are supporter donations to the campaign.
3. Business Club: Corporate engagement programme offering partnership opportunities for businesses to support the campaign.
4. Fan Club: Individual supporter engagement programme for fans following the campaign.
5. Booking Appearances (Book Ollie): Corporate and event appearances by skipper Oliver Heer for speaking engagements, brand activations, and promotional events.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Oliver Heer Ocean Racing is a Swiss-based professional offshore sailing campaign team that competes in IMACA-class ocean races, including the Vendée Globe and The Ocean Race. The team offers corporate sponsorship packages and individual supporter memberships to fund its racing operations and competition participation.

Product overview

Oliver Heer Ocean Racing operates as an ocean racing campaign organization centered around IMOCA (International Monohull Open Class Association) yacht racing. The core offering is competitive participation in elite offshore sailing events, including the foiling IMOCA yacht 'Embrace The Challenge' for the Vendée Globe and The Ocean Race competitions. Supporting offerings include Club 100 membership for individual supporters, Business Club for corporate partners, and Book Ollie speaking engagements. The campaign has evolved from an adventure-focused first Vendée Globe to a performance-focused second campaign targeting competitive results in 2027-2028.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 99 days solo non-stop circumnavigation completed
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered standard, core and minor.

• Dee Caffari MBEstandardOthers · 1 June 2025British offshore sailing legend who performed the christening ceremony for Embrace The Challenge at the UK base in Gosport. As boat's godmother, performed traditional sailing ceremony seeking good fortune and bestowing protection upon the ship.
• Bossard GroupcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 February 2025Technical Partner providing fastening elements and access solutions across the boat and associated equipment. Florian Heuter, General Manager Bossard Germany & VP Products & Engineering, stated they will work closely with the team to identify and integrate the best suited fastening elements and access solutions.
• Team Beyou RacingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Organisation that has cared for the IMOCA boat since its launch, managing the full refit including stripping, inspection, and servicing to ensure race readiness. Their deep familiarity with the boat makes them uniquely placed to prepare it for the campaign.
• Justine MettrauxcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Previous skipper of the boat (TeamWork-Team Snef) who finished 8th in 2024 Vendée Globe. Will join for 2-week handover period sharing valuable insight into the boat she knows so well to help Ollie get the best performance.
• Burgerstein VitaminecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Continuing partner from first Vendée Globe campaign (previously branded as Tut gut), providing vitamin and nutrition support for the campaign. Tanja Zimmermann CEO stated they are delighted to continue partnership and build upon previous success. Also provided weekly treat packs and daily vitamins during races.
• Bérénice Charez / University of CaenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Swiss bioengineer leading groundbreaking scientific study tracking physical changes in Vendée Globe skippers pre-race and post-race, in association with IMOCA and University of Caen. Study tracked weight loss, muscle changes, balance, and other physiological effects of solo ocean racing.
• Henri LloydstandardGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner providing sailing clothing and apparel for the team, shown in partner logos section of website.
• JeneweinstandardGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner providing food/beverage products, shown in partner logos section of website.
• Katadyn GroupstandardTechnology or IntegrationPartner providing water filtration solutions, shown in partner logos section of website.
• Marie RioucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench Olympic sailor, Nacra 17 world champion, and The Ocean Race winner (2017-18, Dongfeng Race Team). Crew member for The Ocean Race Atlantic, bringing boat knowledge and critical insight from sailing extensively with Justine Mettraux.
• Lincoln DewscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian world-class sailor and three-time world champion paddleboarder with background in physics and data science. Joins OHOR as both sailor and performance analyst after racing The Ocean Race Europe 2025 with Team Canada Ocean Racing.
• Liz WardleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBritish sailor with four-time competitor in The Ocean Race and winner in 2023, plus solo transatlantic rowing record holder (2024). Brings relentless toughness, deep offshore experience, and endurance mindset.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• 11th Hour Racing Team: US-based IMOCA campaign led by Charlie Enright with explicit climate/sustainability mission. Closest direct peer: same class, same race calendar (Vendée Globe, The Ocean Race), same sustainability-led sponsor pitch, similar team-led structure.
• Guyot environnement - Team Europe: European IMOCA campaign with environmental-services title partner. Comparable profile on boat class, race calendar, and corporate partner alignment on sustainability themes.
• Alex Thomson Racing: British IMOCA campaign founded by Alex Thomson (the former skipper Oliver Heer raced with on HUGO BOSS in 2021). Strong comparator on skipper-development narrative and UK/Swiss sponsorship pathway.
• Team Malizia: German/Danish IMOCA campaign skippered by Boris Herrmann, competing in the same Vendée Globe and The Ocean Race cycles. Directly comparable profile: DACH-region skipper, sustainability positioning, portfolio sponsorship model with technical and title partners.
• Team Holcim - PRB: Swiss/European IMOCA campaign with construction-industry title sponsor. Same class, same race calendar and similar corporate sponsorship economics; useful peer for Swiss-market partnership benchmarking.
• Charal Sailing Team: French IMOCA campaign originally launched the VPLP-designed Charal hull that OHOR now races as 'Embrace The Challenge'. Closest direct comparator on boat platform and engineering pedigree.
• Biotherm (Paul Meilhat): French IMOCA campaign with corporate title sponsor in the consumer-health space (akin to Burgerstein for OHOR). Same boat class, same event calendar, directly comparable single-title sponsorship model.

Others

• The Ocean Race: Organiser of the crewed round-the-world race in which OHOR is competing (Ocean Race Atlantic, Ocean Race 2027). Not a peer but a primary customer/event partner; shapes OHOR's race calendar and crewed-format economics.
• Initiatives-Coeur:

Broad incumbents

• SailGP: Global professional sailing league with national-team format and large corporate sponsor roster. Broader incumbent: not an IMOCA campaign but the dominant commercial professional-sailing property against which OHOR's sponsor pitch is benchmarked.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OliverHeerOHOR
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC2WtDpcRFzmYGnuPmJQUpFQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oliver-heer-ocean-racing
• Instagraminstagram.com/oliverheeroceanracing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Oliver Heer Ocean Racing