Skipper Aaron Rowe and his super-talented crew will guide the 80-footer across the Bass Strait. Aaron says he's hoping for bad weather - not sure I am!

I’m on board to make sure the crew is well fed, properly nourished and get us to Hobart as quickly as they can. We have to be ready for anything, sea sickness, bad weather… we need to be able to roll with it.

There’s only so much we can control, that’s where the snacks come in. Little and often is good. Potassium, protein and power-packed snacks will help to keep the crew strong and energised throughout the race.

No running water, no kitchen and no light to speak of… I mean, seriously - I’m wearing a headlamp! Who’d have thought I would ever be ocean racing, cooking for 16 big blokes while sporting a headlamp! Not me, that’s for sure!

What goes through your head when you’re sailing offshore? Where’s the opposition? How fast are we going? What’s happening with the weather? And what we are going to have for dinner?

I’ve been testing and cooking for weeks now. Green chicken curry and rice works well in a vac-pack, as does slow-cooked beef brisket. Bacon and egg pies are a winner. The boys have requested schnitzel and lamb chops. Nobody’s going hungry

There’s a sailing proverb, “One hand for yourself, and one for the ship” it’s actually about safety, to hold on as you work - but it's also for eating. I think we can still get everyone fed - with one hand!

Sailing offshore is all about the people, they are the engine driving the boat. They make the decisions, trim the sails and ooze the energy to win. And that engine (or 17) needs good fuel to function at its peak, to be on top of its game.