What Is Solo Offshore Sailing?
Solo offshore sailing is a form of competitive sailing in which a single sailor crosses an ocean without stopovers, without assistance, and with no one else on board. There's no one to hand the helm to when you're exhausted, no one to tell you whether you made the right call. Just you, the boat, and the ocean.
What Is Solo Offshore Sailing?
Solo offshore sailing is a form of competitive sailing in which a single sailor crosses an ocean without stopovers, without assistance, and with no one else on board. There's no one to hand the helm to when you're exhausted, no one to tell you whether you made the right call. Just you, the boat, and the ocean.
How Do Solo
Sailors Sleep?
On board, I don't sleep the way I would on land. The boat never stops, and neither can my eyes, for very long.
I sleep in short cycles of 20 to 40 minutes. Alarms wake me if a vessel gets too close —the radar and AIS keep watch while I close my eyes— or if the wind suddenly shifts.
Sleep deprivation isn't just fatigue: it's the main safety risk on a solo crossing. Days of sleeping in fragments push you into the gray zone, where the brain makes worse decisions and reacts more slowly.
What Do Sailors
Eat On Board?
There's no kitchen on racing boats. There's a small stove and hot water. Most meals are freeze-dried: boiling water, ten minutes, a hot meal that weighs almost nothing.
Sailing burns far more calories than it looks like from the outside, so eating enough isn't optional. On rough-sea days, when lighting the stove is dangerous, I eat cold: energy bars, nuts.
Personally, I always bring quelitas from Mallorca. They’re my favorite snack on board and, who knows, maybe they bring me good luck too.
How Do Solo Sailors Sleep?
On board, I don't sleep the way I would on land. The boat never stops, and neither can my eyes, for very long.
I sleep in short cycles of 20 to 40 minutes. Alarms wake me if a vessel gets too close —the radar and AIS keep watch while I close my eyes— or if the wind suddenly shifts.
Sleep deprivation isn't just fatigue: it's the main safety risk on a solo crossing. Days of sleeping in fragments push you into the gray zone, where the brain makes worse decisions and reacts more slowly.
What Do Sailors Eat On Board?
There's no kitchen on racing boats. There's a small stove and hot water. Most meals are freeze-dried: boiling water, ten minutes, a hot meal that weighs almost nothing.
Sailing burns far more calories than it looks like from the outside, so eating enough isn't optional. On rough-sea days, when lighting the stove is dangerous, I eat cold: energy bars, nuts.
Personally, I always bring quelitas from Mallorca. They’re my favorite snack on board and, who knows, maybe they bring me good luck too.
Mini 6.50, Class40, And IMOCA: What Are the Differences?
Mini 6.50
6.5 m
The gateway into offshore sailing
Mini Transat
The boat I set the Cádiz–Bahamas record in 2024
12.19 m
A step up: fast, cost limited by class rules
Route du Rhum
The boat I'm using now
18.28 m
The pinnacle: foiling boats that fly over the water
Vendée Globe
My long-term goal
Length
What it is
Known for
My connection
Class40
IMOCA 60
How many hours does a solo offshore sailor sleep?
They don't sleep for hours at a stretch: they sleep in short cycles of 20 to 40 minutes, with radar and AIS alarms that wake them early if needed.
What do sailors eat during an offshore crossing?
Mostly freeze-dried food rehydrated with hot water, supplemented with energy bars and nuts on days when the seas are too rough to cook.
What's the difference between a Mini 6.50, a Class40, and an IMOCA?
They are three classes of offshore sailboats of increasing size (6.5 m, 12.19 m, and 18.28 m) that mark the typical stages of a professional career, from the Mini Transat to the Vendée Globe.
Does a solo sailor really sail alone?
They're alone on board, but not without support: a shore team sends weather and strategy updates by satellite, and systems like the autopilot and AIS help them sail safely while they rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
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