Rookie Swiss skipper to compete in crucial Transat CIC Race

Oliver Heer - Transat CIC Race © The Transat CIC

Oliver Heer, 35, the ambitious Swiss offshore sailor is in Lorient with his IMOCA 60, ready to compete in his first Transat CIC.

The Transat CIC is a vital race for the passionate Swiss skipper Heer, who needs to collect the miles towards his IMOCA Globe Series total to ensure his spot on the start line of the gruelling Vendée Globe race later this year.

Starting from Lorient, France on April 28th, The Transat CIC heads to New York, following a northerly route across the Atlantic, covering over 3,500 nautical miles and is usually characterised by a series of low-pressure weather systems which sweep across the north Atlantic.

Heer and his boat will be pushed to the limit as they face brutal, upwind sailing conditions for most of the race. Ice and fog are frequent threats as well as cargo ships and fishing boats, making this one of the toughest single-handed races.

After a disappointing finish to the end of the 2023 season, when rigging failure forced Heer to retire from the Transat Jacques Vabre and Retour a la Base, both high-mileage transatlantic races, he is now fighting for his place on the Vendée Globe start line.

Heer has already demonstrated his fighting spirit. In his first solo transatlantic race, the Route du Rhum in 2022, he collided with another IMOCA, DMG Mori One, early in the race. Showing the courage and determination required to be a successful ocean racer, he returned to shore to complete emergency repairs to the bow. The race jury declared later that he was not at fault and granted him additional time to finish the race - which he did, earning himself qualification to the Vendée Globe 2024.

Fresh out of the boat yard in Port La Forêt following an extensive winter refit, Heer's yacht 'Gitana80' has a traditional dagger-board design and a strong racing pedigree - previously raced by sailing legends Loïck Peyron, Jean le Cam and Romain Attanasio.

The Transat CIC will be the perfect opportunity for Heer to benchmark his performance against the rest of the fleet and test out the recent modifications and upgrades installed over the winter, in particular the new coach roof designed to offer more protection when sailing upwind.

Since Heer was first introduced to the IMOCA world of sailing as co-skipper onboard HUGO BOSS with British skipper, Alex Thomson, he has made it his mission to become the first Swiss-German sailor to compete in the Vendée Globe, the solo, non-stop circumnavigation, widely considered the toughest sailing challenge in the world.

So far, Heer is on track, but it is crucial that he completes both the Transat CIC and the return race, the New York Vendée, to secure his spot on the start line.

Heer comments "I am excited to take part in The Transat CIC. It is an iconic race with a fascinating history. These longer, solo races are great way to test my boat, myself and my race strategy - it's about finding the right balance between performance and endurance. I'm expecting extremely tough upwind conditions on this race, but that just makes it even better preparation for me as I work towards competing in the Vendée Globe."

For more information visit www.thetransat.com.