Life on board
What can Hugo expect on a typical day on the SVB Team and what's it like living on board? We take a look at how he deals with collected waste on board during the Mini Transat, how he plans his water consumption for the race across the Atlantic and his biggest fears during the regatta.
Daily routines
Regular sail checks are as much a part of everyday life on board as brushing your teeth. But what happens when the weather suddenly changes? How does that change the routine? Hugo tells us what he does every day and what that means for life on board during the Mini Transat.
Just the right amount of water
In offshore regattas, 3 litres of water per day is usually planned. Add to this a reserve of 20 litres
and you're all set. In addition to regular planning, tactical planning must also be considered (weight-relevant).
Since Hugo does not have a watermaker on board for reasons of weight and energy, he uses water canisters with a
volume of 10 and 20 litres. Regular water consumption is planned for, but sometimes tactical planning is also needed.
"After checking the wind forecast for the upcoming race, I may spontaneously decide to take more or
less water." If strong winds are forecast, I'll take more, if the wind is light, I stick to 80 litres", says Hugo.
10 litres of safety
Since Hugo does not have a watermaker on board for reasons of weight and energy, he uses water canisters with a volume of 10 and 20 litres. He also keeps a 6-pack of plastic bottles of water on board for emergencies. Running out of water on board is virtually impossible. 3 litres per day is usually more than enough. As an additional requirement, Classe Mini sailors must also keep a safety reserve of 10 litres on board. This is kept in a sealed tank and may only be opened in an emergency. If the seal is broken, a time penalty may be issued, which is to discourage sailors from pouring all water supplies overboard in light winds to reduce the weight of their boats.
Handling waste on board
During a race, there's actually almost zero waste. Hugo's food consists mostly of freeze-dried meals and nuts. After each meal, the empty packs are rinsed out to avoid bad smells. A 10 litre rubbish bag is more than enough for a race of about 1 week. Nothing is thrown overboard. Doing so is forbidden according race rules. Dealing with waste can be more challenging when damage occurs on board and major repairs are needed, because then there is hazardous waste that is hard not to create.Dealing with waste can be more challenging when damage occurs on board and major repairs are needed, because then there's hazardous waste that is hard not to create. Being a responsible person, Hugo doesn't just throw this overboard, instead he collects it below deck in an extra container.
4 hours a day
When you're at sea for more than 2 weeks, you inevitably have to sleep at some point. How and when you sleep essentially depends on the weather and the position of your opponents. On average, Hugo gets about 4 hours of sleep a day during the races. To keep the boat on course while he's asleep, he has to rely 100 % on his autopilot, which literally takes control of the rudder. Nevertheless, every skipper has his or her own theory about what works most effectively here. After all, there’s nothing worse than being deprived of sleep. But what if you’re already at your limits and miss your wake-up call? In a short video, Hugo shares with us his personal sleep techniques that he will use in the Mini Transat.
"That's never happened before"
"I was sailing with a gennaker at 15+ knots across the Bay of Biscay and was below deck getting something to eat. Suddenly I heard a loud bang and the boat shifted in a strange way. I checked the rudder and saw a massive ocean sunfish stuck there, about 50 cm across. It had been pretty battered about by the speed and I had no choice but to somehow try and get it off the rudder...not a pleasant experience!" - Hugo Picard
Hugo's day-to-day life on the SVB Team
What's everyday life like on board a Classe Mini? Hugo lets us take a look at his daily life on board,
before and during the regattas.
He explains how he washes, what he cooks and if he gets bored sometimes.