Food has become one of the few genuine comforts for skippers in the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe, with onboard meals ranging from freeze-dried rations to carefully guarded slices of cheese.
In a few days, some fortunate skippers will sit down to breakfast at La Créole, the hotel in Gosier that serves as the race's rear base. No rolling, no waves, just a calm meal on a wooden terrace facing the sea and palm trees, with an omelette that regulars keep coming back for. But Pointe-à-Pitre is still a long way off for most of the fleet.
Cooking at sea is a challenge in itself, though not for everyone. On Thursday morning, Christophe Bogrand (Des enfants et des arbres, Vintage Multi) filmed a breakfast that could almost make the residents of La Créole jealous: an elegant deep plate, a small board, two fried eggs, a slice of bread. Pure luxury in the middle of the ocean.
Among the Vintage class, several skippers, Jean Le Cam (Alegria, Vintage Mono) among them, have cooktops, a fridge and even a small wine store on board. But they are the exception rather than the rule across the rest of the fleet.
Elsewhere, the menu has been considerably more modest. In recent days, Boris Herrmann (Malizia 4, IMOCA) filmed himself with a freeze-dried meal, Corentin Horeau (MACSF, IMOCA) with a protein bar, Mathieu Claveau (Inherent - Phare 4, Class40) with orange segments, and Maxime Sorel (Vaincre la Mucoviscidose, IMOCA) with avocados.
Sometimes even the sailors themselves struggle to identify what's on the plate. "Normally, it's supposed to look like pasta and meatballs," said Damien Seguin (Arkéa Handicap International, Vintage Multi), smiling in front of a dish simmering in a rather questionable colour.
Théa Khelif (Women of course, Class40) photographed herself with a milk bread roll, ham and a piece of cheese, a snack that clearly does the trick, much like Francesca Clapcich's (11th Hour Racing, IMOCA) country ham and comté. Milan Kolacek (Inland Roots Ocean Soul) pulled out his knife to cut himself a small piece of comté as well. Patrick Isoard (Groupe Cogedis pour enfants du Mékong, Vintage Mono) treated himself to scrambled eggs and slices of charcuterie.
Five days into the race, there are still eggs on board, no small feat given how violently these boats get thrown about, along with the odd piece of fresh fruit. Enough, it seems, to keep spirits up until the Caribbean treats arrive, at La Créole or wherever else the finish takes them.
