Oliver Heer: "The boat knows the way; I just have to make the right decisions."
by worldmarine.media 4 Nov 2024 03:32 AEDT
Ambre Hasson and Oliver Heer © Mikael Ryking
Ambre Hasson talked with Oliver Heer, the Swiss skipper of Tut gut, about his life before becoming a professional sailor, why he decided he needed to get out of the office and on to the water, how he met Alex Thompson, which was his route into IMOCA sailing.
He reinforced just how important the preparation is for the Vendée Globe and how making the right decisions ahead of the race, regardless of your budget, is utterly key.
There have been setbacks along the path to the race, including losing his mast, and an electronics failure onboard, which led to have to sail 'old school', with manual steering and paper charts, but Oliver has used these as learning experiences as much as possible.
Finding the right boat is a key point in any Vendée campaign, and Oliver explains how he came by his IMOCA yacht, and what changes have been made since he made the purchase in 2021, including raising the coach roof since he is almost two metres tall!
Finally, Oliver explains the importance of being able to relax during the race, even if it's just for 30 minutes, and the challenge of cooking and getting enough calories. Understandably, both are extremely difficult on a boat which is bouncing in waves at up to 30 knots, and he describes superbly just what can happen when you are sleep deprived.
He concludes by saying, "If anybody dreams of doing the Vendée Globe then absolutely go for it."