Swiss IMOCA sailor Oliver Heer is proud to announce that he has secured a three-year side sponsorship from luxury yacht yard - Portier Yachts. The sponsorship marks the beginning of an exciting journey for Heer, who is jumping into the world of IMOCA sailing with the ultimate ambition of competing in the 2024 Vendée Globe race.

"This sponsorship agreement with Portier Yachts is a huge step for me as I embark on my Vendee Globe journey. It gives me local support and I truly appreciate the trust that Portier Yachts has placed in me and the team and I'm looking forward to doing everything I can to reward their faith in me,” said Heer.

Heer, originally from the lake of Zurich, is a highly experienced offshore sailor, having previously worked with British sailor Alex Thomson on his IMOCA - HUGO BOSS. He has sailing over 100,000 offshore miles and competed in multiple regattas around the world. Most recently, Heer took part in his first solo IMOCA race, the famous Route Du Rhum from St Malo to Guadeloupe, and after a tough start, finished the race and secured a spot for the 2024 Vendee Globe. With his newfound sponsorship from Portier Yachts, Heer is now looking forward to the next phase of his IMOCA sailing career.

“I'm very excited to be part of this new venture. We believe that Oliver is a great ambassador for our company and truly embraces the spirit of Swiss sailing, we are proud to be associated with him, and wish Oliver the best on his journey, The familyowned shipyard in Meilen was founded in 1815 and is now run by the 7th generation. We have manufactured bespoke one-offs boats to small series boats of all types for almost 200 years. Recently we took the decision to stop building boats, and now focuses on boat sales, maintenance and restorations. With this partnership, we would like to further strengthen our tradition with sailing and what better way than with the team of Oliver Heer Ocean Racing.” said Dominique Webber, Portier Yachts.

The sponsorship agreement with Portier Yachts is the first major step in Heer's journey towards the Vendée Globe and is expected to open many doors for the Swiss sailor who is still looking to secure a title sponsor for his campaign. Heer is currently training for the 2023 IMOCA Globe Series which includes the Fastnet race in July, the Defi Azimut in September and then the double handed Transat Jaques Vabres race from Le Havre to Martinique in October. The year will culminate with the single handed Retour La Base race, which will start at the end of November and see the sailor cross the line in Lorient and return to his home base in Port La Foret, Brittany. These extremely competitive races, sailing over 10,000 nautical miles in total, will be a great testing ground for Heer, and his team. Heer understands what it takes to perform at the highest level and is confident that he will be able to make the most of his newfound sponsorship. "I'm looking forward to competing in the 2023 IMOCA Globe series races and showing Switzerland and the world what I'm made of. With the help of Portier Yachts, I hope to make a name for myself in the IMOCA sailing world,” said Heer.

Source : Oliver Heer Ocean Racing