Cooking on board - the Clipper Round the World Race

If you think provisioning for a week's cruising and cooking at sea is tough, spare a thought for the galley on the yachts in the Clipper Round the World Race. Here are some food-related extracts from their blogs.

Dawn Evans on Sprit of Australia says

"Steal your pets eating bowl. All meals are consumed out of lovely green plastic dog bowls. Next time you prepare your favourite pets’ meal swap your lovely porcelain for their bowl. Try eating your first course then swill it out and have some pudding. Lovely."

"Visit your local supermarket, buy high quantity of chocolate bars, heat in oven, in wrapper, attempt to eat when cool. Chocolate snacks are in abundance aboard Spirit of Australia. How lovely you may think. A cup of tea and something sweet. However no matter how carefully and nicely packed penguin cake bars, fudge bars and Crunchies may be when it comes to eating them they have been reduced to a pile of sticky mush. We have taken to sucking chocolate out of wrappers - not a good look but one that needs practice."

Orla Mellett on Cork took charge of provisioning in Rio...

"A fresh fruit and veg run is the last run we do before we hit for sea and having learned from our experiences on Leg 1, we stocked up on loads of citrus fruits, melons, apples, cabbages, onions, garlic, carrots – anything that we think will go the distance. With the galley rammed full of all this fresh produce, the last couple of days have seen us enjoy fresh veggie soup (yes, that’s the rustic unblended homemade variety Mama!) and pineapple and melon desserts – Not too shabby, eh!"

"Cork’s crew are feeling extremely detoxed and healthy at the minute as a result. Long may it continue!"

"Regardless of how prepared you feel, you will inevitably forget something or fail to meet everyone’s expectations. Thankfully, we have a crew here on Cork that seem to eat pretty much anything that’s put in front of them, without a grumble (well, at least not in my ear shot!), which makes what could be a thankless and soul destroying job, one of the most rewarding on the boat."