Volvo Ocean Race - No place like home for Team Brunel

by Stefan Coppers, Team Brunel on 1 Nov 2014 Stefan Coppers reports on day 20 at sea for Team Brunel in the Volvo Ocean Race.

On board Team Brunel we have a so-called 'day-bag'. Every day, we stow all the food for the day in this big, white, sailcloth bag. This enables us to get an organised view of what has been set aside for that day. The hungry men search through this bag for a snack with great regularity. But their search is in vain and they give up with a sigh.

The fact is that you wouldn’t feed nine out of ten products in our day-bag to a dog! Its contents consist mostly of flavourless meals; sticky, melted energy bars and dried fruit.

There is one exception that makes the crew’s mouths water. This delicacy makes the toughest night on the winches feel like a summer-evening cruise. When I pull this out of the bag, the men stand in an orderly line like a family of meerkats. The delicacy in question is jamón ibérico, otherwise known as Spanish ham! Vacuum-packed, this little luxury brings light to our culinary darkness.

'This trip is going to make me appreciate food a lot more,' says one of the rookies, as he savours the ham with closed eyes. It is 25 degrees Celsius and Team Brunel is cutting its way through the ocean. 'Now you know the value of good food,' says Pablo Arrarte. He carefully trims the foresail and chews the last of his ham before continuing. 'You only really know what you’re missing after months at sea without a shower or any form of luxury. It’s not your iPhone or your television, but your family, your friends and, of course, good food!' Team Brunel website