He grew up in landlocked Switzerland, lived in a campervan in a car park to break into professional sailing, and in 2025 became the first Swiss-German to complete the Vendée Globe. Now Oliver Heer is back — with a foiling IMOCA, a 14-strong team, and the commercial instincts of a startup founder.
The US SailGP Team’s event win last weekend in Sydney was more than just a big result. After a bruising Season 5 and months of criticism, the Americans have started Season 6 looking sharper, calmer, and faster around the racecourse. According to the US skipper, there is plenty more yet to come.
28-year-old Tom Laperche has made a huge impression on the sailing world. After winning the 2022 Solitaire du Figaro the young Frenchman joined Francois Gabart's SVR-Lazartigue Ultim programme – first as co-skipper and then in sole charge. Alexander Champy-McLean sat down with him to find out more.
Just a quarter of the way into its fifth season, SailGP is close to fulfilling the long-term, commercially sustainable business model that Larry Ellison and Russell Coutts envisioned when they announced the global league in 2018. Bernie Wilson finds out more.
US sports writer Bernie Wilson catches up with the inimitable Jimmy Spithill to find out what life ashore has been like for the Australian sailor since his surprise retirement from competition