In conversation with | Oliver Heer

In conversation with | Oliver Heer

Oliver 'Ollie' Heer - Embrace The Challenge

Embrace The Challenge is an ocean racing team, led by Swiss professional sailor Oliver “Ollie” Heer. The team compete in the world’s most demanding races on a modern, foiling 60-foot IMOCA racing yacht.

For Ollie, who grew up learning to sail on the Lake of Zurich, ocean racing began as a passion and developed into a profession. After building his experience within the international offshore sailing world, he launched his own IMOCA campaign and went on to complete the 2024–25 Vendée Globe: a solo, non-stop race around the world, nicknamed the ‘Everest of the Seas’. After 99 days at sea, Ollie became the first Swiss-German sailor to finish this legendary race.

That place is history was not an endpoint, but the start of a new chapter. Moving from adventure to performance, the team’s second campaign is targeting a competitive performance in the Vendée Globe 2028.  

Skipper Oliver Heer helming Embrace The Challenge whilst crew work on sail setting during an onboard manoeuvre in The Ocean Race Atlantic

The name ‘Embrace The Challenge’ reflects the team’s belief that success depends on mindset. The team use their story to show that with a positive mindset , it is possible to overcome obstacles and do hard things.
Embrace The Challenge is now preparing for two circumnavigations: The Ocean Race 2027 and the solo, non-stop, Vendée Globe in 2028. For Ollie and his crew, the ocean is both their arena and their greatest teacher: unpredictable, uncompromising and always demanding maximum effort from the crew.

An aerial view of the IMOCA Embrace The Challenge
Skipper Oliver Heer tucks into a Trek’n’Eat meal whilst on watch in The Ocean Race Atlantic

Life onboard an IMOCA places exceptional demands on both people and equipment. From the heat of the equator to the storms of the Southern Ocean, the boat continuously faces challenging conditions. Living space is extremely limited and every item carried must earn its place. Often thousands of miles from land, the crew must be able to operate self-sufficiently while focusing on sailing the boat safely and competitively.
Food and water is an important aspect of life at sea. Trek’n Eat meals form part of the crew’s carefully planned daily provisions. Access to drinking water is also essential and the team use an onboard Katadyn desalinator to turn seawater into drinking water to ensure the crew stay hydrated.

Oliver 'Ollie' Heer - Embrace The Challenge's Katadyn Gear

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