Real meal or freeze-dried meal? It's all a question of the sailor's desire and his boat. Each one chooses between his comfort and his greed and the weight to be loaded on the boat, because the heavier it is, the less it moves forward� Some people take freeze-dried meals on board because it is fast to prepare and light. You just need to add hot water and off you go! Others prefer to eat pasta or take dishes prepared by a chef or by family members. Sébastien Josse chose to take along some good food.
Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée) proves to be a gourmet even in an offshore race I haven't been able to rest yet, but I've been eating little foie gras sandwiches that my mom put on board for me." More original, Eric Jail (Défi-Cat) who found a flying fish on the deck of his boat and decided to eat it for his evening dinner in a short broth. In the gourmet category, Yann Eliès confided " I eat very well. I have to see with the routers how long the joke will last because I've been eating like a gourmet for 24 hours. But for now it's perfect, I have enough butter and bread! I cooked the bananas with a chocolate bar. I'm doing my bachelor thing, making little dishes and eating them out of the pan while licking the bottom with my fingers."
Gilles Lamiré also recounts his experience on board Rennes Metropole St Malo Agglomeration "Last night I made a chicken basquaise, last night a shepherd's pie and this morning a good breakfast with three pain au chocolat and a Yop! I'm in good shape!" and this wine lover also brought with him some wine to wash down his throat "I took three good bottles with me. A Saint-Julien, a Saint-Estèphe and a Lalande-de-Pomerol, that's my trifecta!" but he was waiting for the weather to calm down so he could taste it.
Finally, Benjamin Hardouin took along some empty dishes and a lot of pasta and rice.
Erwan Le Roux (FenêtréA-Cardinal) confided during a radio session " I did a normal diet last night with appetizer-main course-dessert. The rhythm is setting in and it's not bad. I'm planning a nice breakfast for myself later on." It is important to know that in the first days of the Route du Rhum, many people had little or no food or sleep because of the difficult weather conditions. The sailors preferred to keep the helm and try to face the storm.
The majority of boats are equipped with a stove and ¾ can heat water. Others have a small stove like Ari Huusela's boat in the Rhum Class or Benjamin Hardouin's (Rhum Class). Some even take stoves with them to make preparations.
Seasickness, the enemy of seafarers' diet
Seasickness affects everyone as some sailors in the Route du Rhum were unable to eat during the first days of the race. It must be said that the weather conditions were not optimal with high waves and swell. Jean Galfione explained " I'm starting to be able to eat." and Willy Bissainte (Rhum class) " I didn't really eat because I was a little sick: I eat breakfast."
