What kind of food do the Tybee and Worrell folks take on the water with them?
Cliff bars are a big favorite. However I still can't drink fruit punch Gatoraid... Power bar shots or Cliff Gells are good. Anything you can keep 100% dry and cram into your mouth with one hand. Cliff bars are often broken in half and split...errr...shoved in the skipper or crews mouth while on the wire. It's also a plus to have something that tastes good with salt water....
Baked or boiled potatoes are good. Carbohydrate for endurance and stamina, lots of vitamin C and potassium, cheap, easy, and goes good with saltwater. 
My crew for the C-100 brought along some jerky. It was great - a welcome relieve to the Cliff-Bar diet.
I just can't see doing six straight days of power bars and beef jerky (makes me feel sorry for the downwind skipper shortly after the jerky - unless I'm wearing a dry suit and then I'm sorry for me 
).
There has to be some variety! Seriously - how about bananas, apples, etc.? I didn't think the potato really was that bad of an idea either (except that it would have to be cold).
Try 12 or 13 days.You don't eat boat food again until you absolutely have to. Apples are good. Bananas are BAD luck on boats(something about giving off gases that rotted other fruit in the old sailing ships .It stuck through the years), and don't hold up well.They smush all over the tramp. Crappy food on the boat is good incentive to finish early. It ain't a picnic. 
Sandwiches can be good if you don't mind eating them in a wad.
All the stuff Will R. said are pretty much the standard though.Water is all I usually drink, hot juice just don't cut it.
Todd A. Hart
I saw a picture of last year's Texel where a Tornado crew had taped two bananas to their boom. I guess we'll stay away from that one! Lord knows we don't need any evil spirits!
What Todd, you didn't like those peanut butter sandwiches in the Keys!?!?!
I used to like Cliff bars as a quick snack...but now, I just have to "reserve" them for when I have to eat. Nobody said long distance racing on a cat was supposed to be luxurious. You eat cause you have to, not because you think a chocolate peanut crunch cliff bar just happens to sound good. (my favorite is the mint chocolate chip ones)
But there are some bars better than others for sailing. Power bars taste like sand and dirt and they are kinda hard to eat. Anything chocolate "dipped" just doesn't work well. That stuff after it gets warm and smashed is VERY nice and messy. I've found that Cliff bars, Power Bar harvest and Luna (yes I know they are for women) work the best.
We survive on:
"Cytomax" sports drink - a turbo gatorade
Yogurt/Granola Power Bars
Apples
Beef Jerky
What is really important regarding food is to have a first class, hard working ground crew that makes sure a meal is waiting for you when you hit the beach. Added bonus if they have that "cytomax" replishing drink cold and ready.
David Strickland
Lamorak Racing Team
But what do the guys eat who are at sea for 15+ days on a beach cat, trying to break the Atlantic crossing record? They must have something more than gatorade-type stuff and power-bar-type stuff. There ain't no stops along the way.
We have the best ground crew ever, David & Chris .That pink stuff really [color] does taste bad even if it is cold, but you feel a lot better the next day. I like the apples (go great with salt water)and beef jerky the best. 
David Lennard
Lamorak Racing
Merry Christmas everyone
Yes, the Cytomax stuff works (from prior cycling experience), but I moved to the new Gatoraide flavors AND dilute them 8:1 or 10:1. It still tastes okay (even when warm), and I'm not thirsty after I finish drinking it (like when it's full strength). Plenty of sugar in there to keep you moving.
Cliff bars - good. Power bars - not so good. I agree that they're used ONLY when you have to eat. Get a variety of flavors (I like the P-nut butter ones).
And nothing wrong with PB&J. Smashed or not, it's still a varience from the Goo and Cliff bars. Also, most small sandwiches (minus mayonaise and other "spoilers") survive all but the worst conditions. How they fare over 1000 miles would be best answered by those veterans...
I need crunchy stuff, too. Oreos - not so good (too sweet). Pretzels - good. Potato chips - disastrous (turns the tramp into one big slip-n-slide). I've even eaten Ramen noodles sans water - good crunch!
Other goodies - Jolly Ranchers and hard candy, Leftover pizza (in light air - watch the grease, and bag each piece individually), Cheeze Whiz in the spray can, trail mix (if you can keep it dry), Hard granola bars, and beef jerky.
Stay away from Sun Chips, as you'll become an addict in no time and forget to sail! I swear, there must be an FDA regulated substance in there!!
Sure - you'll be producing more apparant wind than the boat, but at least you won't be hungry!
I can't speak on the distance sailing, but we do adventure racing. Some things I take along:
METRX bars (I think they are much better than any other brand)
Graham crackers (great when soggy)
dry oatmeal (best carbo around)
salmon jerky (omega complex, protein)
large bottle of coffee-based drink
Vitamin B and E supplements
*** fruit
I have always enjoyed reading your posts Jake. If you would expand the contraints of your question to include long distance NON racers, I'd be inclined to chime-in.
GARY
Wow, lot of great info here so far!
Gary,
Very much likewise! My post is specifically focused at races like the Tybee 500 / Worrell 1000 since we are constructing a team to race the Tybee this year and we're trying pre-plan as much as possible (team website to become public in the next couple of days). However, I would welcome any input on the subject and your lead sounds intriguing!
I've done a couple of RTI's in the past and although we brought plenty of food (granola bars, etc.) and water/gatorade, we barely ate anything (and most races were 16+ hours) because we stayed very focused on the sailing. Eating while sailing will need to be a regiment because I'm sure our bodies can't afford to eat minimally while out there day after day.
Regardless, what do you take with you if you're just planning for a lengthy recreational day on the water? I take a hard cooler with drinks, sandwiches, and chips. However, if we're not racing, we usually end up beaching somewhere to throw down a sandwich or two unless it's really light air. While racing around the cans, I usually take several granola bars and plenty of water out for the day.
In my case, it is not just a long recreational day on the water. Nor is it a long distance race. But for my crew and me, it is an extreme cat sailing adventure that lasts for days; each day being a very long one.
I have teamed up with Bill Mattson. We have made numerous assaults on the Santa Barbara Channel Islands, Channel Islands National Park. We are moving into our forth consecutive season of exploratory expeditions across the formidable "Windy Lane," a challenging body of water for the best of crusing yachts.
We have found ourselves: double trapped, against the wind, agaist the current, against the seas, against the surge, against the odds, against the better judgement of many sailors of larger, heavier, monohulled, lead-keeled boats, persuing a route through "Windy Lane," in direct oposition to the opposing forces.
At the same time, we found ourselves "parking" the catamaran in 30 knot winds to take our first "pee break" of the day after five solid hours of beating to weather in this place.
I am sure that we were consuming some calories at a rate that would compare to a serious racer's consumption.
One thing to keep in mind here is that we were only burning calories, but not really burning too much water. While many of the visitors to this forum have to focus on water intake a a primary concern, ... for us, sailing on the Pacific, water intake is only about as important as food.
For most or many, water intake is five to ten times more important than calories. It is pretty cool (cold) here for us.
Water is KEY! Drink, drink, drink! Don't bother with sugar or carbs if you don't have enough water to drink. The calories are not going to do any good if you don't have enough water!
Before I go on to suggest any kind of foods, I must severely stress the need for water. And this is coming from a guy who sails in a place where you would need very little of it. But no matter where you are... you need a lot of water! !!!
Keep some water with you, on you. In a waist pack, butt pack, or in a camel pack. Water is essential.
Separate your water from your sugars. Why drink sweetened water (gatoraide, koolaide, whatever) if you are dehydrated? Drink lots of plain old water! Save the beers and gatoraide for later.
Next, eat minerals. This will include the minerals that are included in such drinks as gatoraide. If you have some gatoraide type drinks, cool... just so that you have enough pure water to dilute it if you are in need of pure water.
Next, get some carbohydrates and proteins. Carbs are easy. We like to eat a dryed apricot. Those little things can pack a big punch. They have a lot of the stuff you need when you've been sweating. They also have carbs. They also stimulate your salivary glands, and that helps you deal with the dry, salty air.
Next is any variation of "GORP." Good Old Raisins and Peanuts will go a long way. There you have your salt, carbs, some fat for reserve power, and the king of calories, the proteins. This will not only get you through the current calorie draw, but will give you some reserve power later.
Speaking of the staying power of proteins, jerky is crutial. This stuff bridges a gap beyond being the tasty and salty snack, but is the low density protein that we need when pushing our bodies to extended levels of exertion.
Jerky goes a long way and if you have the amount of water it takes to offset its salinity, it is probably the best nutrition per weight ratio that is available.
This brings us back to the basics, ... water. There is nothing more important, nutriritionally, as getting enough water into your body! !! !!! !!!! !!!!! DRINK WATER ! !!
When sailing long trips, where we have a rest at night, we try to eat some roughage and carbohydrates when we are at rest. During the day we have eaten carbs and protein. At night, we eat a more ballanced meal. This would include vegitables, fruit, bread, and meat.
Meat is easy to pack, but the other foods can be a challenge in the tossing about that the boat undergoes during a hard day of sailing.
We like to use condensed products that pack, carry, and sail well, while opening up to provide some good feed at the end of the day. (if we were in a hot environment, things might be different and we might have to pack and eat foods that were kept on ice).
Tortillas are our bread of choice. It won't squish and flatten any more than they already are flattened. They don't seem to spoil, over the course of a few days. They make handy roll-up sandwiches.
Processed cheese in a can (spray can with co2 pressure) is hard to bruise or otherwise ruin during a hard day's sailing and makes good snacks and sandwiches. Celery seems to be a perfect compliment to the mix. It travels well, combines well with the canned cheese, and keeps its shape and makes a good skeleton in the middle of a roll-up sandwich.
Sliced, deli meat is a good source of protein. Protein, you want to talk about protein???
We love to carrry a few envolopes of the new type of packaged Tuna! We now have foil-mylar packages of tuna that leave a very small amount of litter weight when used-up. These packages can be torn open (leave the tear strip attahced so you only have one piece of trash instead of two pieces), tossed down your cake hole, and quickly stowed away. The caloric value of these things makes for a perfect, on-the-water source of high protein, high food value package to bring aboard.
I must say that the potato idea the Mary brought up was great. And I would be inclined to consider raw potatoes since they not only have the same food value, but will store better. Apples are a great resouce.
The major incredient in apples is bulk. The secondary importance is carborhydrates. You need to find your body's needs. But I have found that dense calories will give you staying power; as long as you can deal with the sluggish intestinal situation that is in store for you.
Apples, celery, and other foods with high cellulose content will promote bowell movements, while proteins will not only give you energy but will prolong the need to visit the sh*thouse. You make the choice. With practice, you can learn to bring on the call of nature at a time that is convenient; drinking an excessive amount of water, all at once, will often produce the desired result.
sorry if that was "over the top"
My bottom line is that, for food, you should carry high protein stuff like jerky (salmon is great!!!), nuts, and tuna. It provides the most amount of energy with the least amount of need for the restroom. The only thing more important is to have plenty of water.
That's it folks. Drink enough, or more than enough water. Eat protein. If you eat enough protein, and eat it soon enough, you won't have to bother with the carbs.
GARY
I'm hungary AND thirsty now 
Actually, the water and carbs during the raceday are the most important. You can get the protein after. Carbs are the fuel. Carbs and fat. Protein is for rebuilding muscle. Check out the diet of a long distance bike racer or runner. Carbs, Carbs, Carbs! It's the fuel they need as well as anyone doing a long distance sail. Have a double hamburger or steak after returning to shore.
Tom
I17R #124/runner/Trek bike rider!
I agree about carbs being the fuel. I keep packages of liquid honey in a tramp pocket, the one on the bottom of the tramp, to help keep warm and energetic when dealing with a capsize.
GARY
One thing of note about water. A common misconception that people have is that if you are not sweating or peeing it out, then you are not using h20, and therefore your consumption may be decreased also.
Water is lost in a variety of ways, and moved around in your body depending on electrolyte balances.
First is insensible loss. Okay, its cold, you are freezing, and you are definitely not sweating. But what is that vapor that escapes your nose or mouth with every breath on a cold day? Water!
In the warm season you dont see this, but beleive me, you are losing a great deal of water with every expiration.
Second, Your body has its own regulatory system that is independent of your actions(somewhat) and even though you may be taking in fluids, if the osmalarity(salt and sugar content) of the fluids is incorrect, or your electrolytes get an imbalanc, then your body starts moving fluid around from intercellular spaces to extracellular spaces or vice versa due to the osmosis effects of sodium and sugar. These fluid shifts can alter your physical strength and even alter your mind and lead to seizure activity.
as noted above, water is your friend, and a seperate container of H20 is a vital thing to have, along with your "sports drink".
Dave Mosley
www.teamseacats.com
See you at the tradewinds!