Feeding the F1 thousands: what’s in store for hungry fans enjoying the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on a yacht

Scott Crawley, the managing director of Yes Chef! Catering in Dubai, discusses what it's like cooking on a yacht on racing's biggest weekend.

The luxurious interior of the One o One yacht. Courtesy Tarrab Yachts

For some people, the only thing better than front-row seats to the race this weekend is comfortable seats on a yacht – with a view of the track, of course.

And the one thing that cannot be overlooked on any of the yachts tucked into Yas Marina’s 222 berths this weekend, some coming from as far away as the United Kingdom and the Mediterranean for the race, is the food. People need to eat – and when it comes to a yacht party on racing’s biggest weekend, the food better be good.

That's where Scott Crawley, the managing director of Yes Chef! Catering in Dubai, shines. He and his team of 25 employees will be managing, preparing and serving food and beverages on three yachts: two from the UK and the Grand Prix yacht, GP Management's Exclusive II.

“We’re going to be serving 400 guests over the weekend,” Crawley says. “I’ll have a head chef on each yacht and a manager on each boat. I’ll shift between the three.”

Though you might expect the yacht crowd would be noshing on extravagant lobster and caviar dishes, Crawley says the fare is actually much more middle-of-the-road.

“To be honest, it’s not fine dining. You can’t do that on the yacht unless you have a small party. The food is very much upmarket fare. There will be some foie gras, but not anything unusual.”

Crawley and his team will offer a hot and cold canapé menu along with more substantial dishes including an assortment of mini dishes: fillet of beef, fish and chips and Thai curry with rice.

Being a chef on a yacht might sound glamorous, but it does come with challenges.

“We have issues with the amount of power and sometimes the cookers can go down,” he says.

And while the guests will be making the most of their time, for the staff cooking for them, the days are long and all about the service.

“We start at 6am,” says Crawley. “Serving time is from noon to 7pm. We have one yacht doing evening events as well, so that one will finish at 1am.”

But Crawley wouldn’t have it any other way.

His catering company does four to five events every day in Dubai, including a brunch on a yacht in the Dubai Marina every Friday. “We’re all set,” Crawley says.