On their return to land, after more than 3 months at sea, Vendée Globe skippers can order a menu for their first meal away from their boat. The organization takes care of satisfying them. Sailors also ask for a song to accompany them as they cast off. Here's a brief summary of these sometimes original requests, both in terms of taste and sound.
French fries, ribs and pizza: the holy trinity of the hungry sailor
If the skippers' orders are anything to go by, you'd think they'd just come out of a forced famine in the Deep South. Indeed, the big star of this edition is... the French fry! You'll find it generously served with entrecôte steak (chosen by no fewer than 7 sailors, after all), garnishing burgers, escorting fish and even sitting alongside a skate wing.
The pizza is not to be outdone, requested by several sailors, including Clarisse Crémer, who opted for a goat cheese version (because a little refinement never hurts), and Olivier Heer, who goes so far as to ask for a beer with it. Respect.
Special mention to Boris Herrmann, who, after weeks of swallowing wind and sea spray, declared... that he didn't want anything at all. Either his stomach was too upset, or his strategy was to get straight to dessert without feeling guilty!
Dessert? A sacred ritual!
As for sweet treats, chocolate mousse and tiramisu share the skippers' favourites. It's enough to make you think that, after all, sailors have a little Italian lover in them... or simply a craving for sugar after swallowing 150 days of salty seas.
As an aside, Romain Attanasio is planning a chocolate-coffee combination with a chocolate religieuse and coffee ice cream. When you consider the sleepless nights they pull at sea, it's easy to see why they need a little boost on arrival!
The big absentees: vegetables
Yes, there were a few attempts at greenery here and there âeuros a green salad hanging around the side of an entrecÃ'te, a bit of crudités in the company of Yoann Richomme âeuros curry but let's make no mistake: the vegetable clearly lost the battle. On the other hand, when it comes to gluttony, the victory is clear-cut.
Rock, electro, and a hint of Johnny
If culinary diversity is the order of the day, on the music side, there's a great need for dynamism and motivation. Rock classics such as AC/DC, Queen and the Rolling Stones âeuros keep the rhythm even on dry land.
Other sailors prefer the energy of electro and dance music, with Daft Punk, Black Eyed Peas and Gala, perfect for celebrating the end of the adventure in dancefloor mode. And then there are those who assert their attachment to French chanson, and here it's the great Johnny who is the boss, with "Allumer le feu", chosen by two skippers. Proof that even after braving storms, they're not afraid of a little more heat!
Moral of the story? Sailing around the world digs deep. And at the end of the day, it's not chia seeds and tofu that make you dream, but a good plate of French fries and a good sound in your ears. Food for thought for all future adventurers on the high seas!
So, if you set off on a round-the-world trip tomorrow, what would you choose for your arrival?
Detailed list of menus and songs requested by the skippers as they make their way up the channel in Les Sables-d'Olonne
1- Charlie Dalin
Menu: hamburger with fries and green salad.
Song : La terre est ronde by Orelsan
2 - Yoann Richomme
Menu: Chicken curry, rice and raw vegetable salad, fresh fruit
Song: L'Aventurier d'Indochine
3- Sebastien Simon
Menu: Entrecôte frite, tiramisu
Song : The Miracle by U2
4 - Jeremy Beyou
Menu: Entrecôte frite salad, chocolate mousse
Song Can't hold us by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
5 - Paul Meilhat
Menu: Burger fries, fruit salad
Song : Give me hope Joanna by Eddie Grant
6 - Nicolas Lunven
Menu: Scallops, leek fondue, green salad, chocolate coulant and fresh fruit
Song: A sky full of stars by Coldplay
7 - Thomas Ruyant
Menu: Poké bowl of fish and fresh vegetables
Song: Thank God by Rilès
8 - Justine Mettraux
Menu: Burger fries, fruit salad
Song: Woman by Andreya Triana
9 - Sam Googchild
Menu: Fish and chips salad, fruit
Song: Around the world by Daft Punk
10 - Benjamin Dutreux
Menu: Fried prime rib with vegetables
Song: Allumer le feu by Johnny Halliday
11 - Clarisse Cremer
Menu: Goat cheese pizza, fruit salad
Song: Free from desire de Gala
12 - Boris Herrmann
Menu: Nothing!
Song: Highway to hell by AC/DC
13 - Samantha Davis
Menu: Fresh fish, French fries, salad, fruit salad
Song: I will survive by Gloria Gayno
14 - Romain Attanasio
Menu: Green salad with tomatoes, fried prime rib, chocolate religieuse, coffee ice cream
Song: Allumer le feu by Johnny Halliday and Knockin'on Heaven's Door by Guns N' Roses
15 - Damien Seguin
Menu: Entrecote frite salad, fruit salad
Song : Don't stop me now by Queen
16 - Benjamin Ferré
Menu: Entrecote frite salad, fruit salad
Song : Say it ain't so, Joe by Murray Head
17 - Tanguy le Turquais
Menu: Burger fries, chocolate mousse
Song: Eye in the sky by The Alan Parsons Project
18 - Alan Roura
Menu: Fried skate wing with capers, fruit salad
Song: Reggae Night by Jimmy Cliff
19 - Isabelle Joschke
Menu: Mango fish tartar with winter vegetables and lamb's lettuce
Song: Before Midnight Tonight by Hugo Kant
20 - Jean Le Cam
Menu: Rib steak fries with Roquefort sauce, red fruit panna cotta
Songs: Modern love by Zaho de Sagaza and C'est la vie mon chéri by Eddy Mitchel
21 - Conrad Colman
Menu: Vegetarian lasagne
Song: Survivor by Destiny's Child
22 - Giancarlo Pedote
Menu: Fried rib steak, mixed salad with olive oil and lemon, sugar-free fruit salad, Kouign aman. He wanted a pizza, which he then made himself in a restaurant in Les Sables-d'Olonne.
Song: Segunda - Feira by Franco Battiato
23 - Guirec Soudée
Menu: Buratta, fried rib steak, banana-free fruit salad, organic fruit juice
Songs: Basque songs and Billy Paul's Your song
24 - Kojiro Shiraichi
Menu: Cesar salad, oysters, fried cheeseburger, fruit salad
Song: Beyond the sea by Bobby Darin
25 - Violette Dorange
Menu: Stuffed ravioli (ricotta basil), chocolate cake, apple juice
Song: Ocean Eyes (Blackbear remix) by Billie Eilis
26 - Louis Duc
Menu: Langoustines, fried lamb chops, fruit salad
Song: Marinade's Cotentin schooner
27 - Sébastien Marset
Menu: Duck breast with mashed potatoes, lemon meringue pie
Song: Anthem created by one of its sponsors
28 - Antoine Cornic
Menu: Green salad, fried rib steak, fruit basket
Song : I gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Peas
29 - Olivier Heer
Menu: Pizza Reine with spicy salami and green salad, no onions, no tomatoes and a beer
Song: Around the world by Daft Punk
30 - Jinkun Xu
Menu: Lamb chop, seafood pizza, white beer
Song : Jonathan Lee, Emil Wakin Chau & Anthony Wong from Jackie Chan
31 -
32 -
33 -
Withdrawal (but finisher) : Eric Bellion
Menu: Carrot crudités, fried rib steak, fruit salad
Song : Take my Hand | Skip the Use by Sail & Sound
Withdrawal (but finisher): Yannick Bestaven
Menu: Terrine, steak frites, chocolate mousse
Song: Start me up by Rolling Stones
