naturally.

For the past 12 years the deeply-tanned young woman with the long, wavy hair has been feeding crews of racing and pleasure boats wherever and whenever she's needed.

"I started on a pleasure schooner which sailed from Maine to the Caribbean,'' she recalled. "That was routine sailing -- and a lot different from racing.'' Whereas the former was a world of polished brass and varnished teak, berths like her present one on the ultralight racer Donnybrook -- one of just two in the 1994 Newport-Bermuda thrash -- are more intense and built around a philosophy of lightness over luxury.

In consequence, provisioning is a well organised process which emphasises lightweight products with a good shelf life, and dispensing with the unnecessary.

A professional cook, Holly is a dab hand at designing practical, no-fuss meals which keeps the crew happy.

"I try to make the food interesting so they're not just eating `army food','' she said. "I want them to enjoy it as well as being built up.'' Prior to a voyage, she takes up residence in her mother's Boston kitchen for a few days preparing, cooking, labelling and freezing meals.

"I spent about 21 days pre-cooking things,'' she said.

Holly makes such delights as pecan and apple pies from scratch; freezes fresh strawberries to combine with shortcake; and creates such tasty main meals as shepherd's pie, lasagne, quiches, stuffed pork chops and chicken bracciole.

A judicious shopper, she will incorporate such luxuries as lobster newburg when plentiful supplies assure low prices. And before she prepares her menus, Holly will inspect a boat's larder to see what canned goods she can also use.

A particular challenge on this voyage was keeping the lone vegetarian well fed.

"I ended up doing special meals for him on the side,'' she said. "You have to make sure that everyone gets their protein.'' A graduate of Johnson and Wales, a culinary art school in Rhode Island, and also a US Coast Guard licensed captain, Holly Vrotsos looks upon her career in nautical galleys as "a good way to keep on board boats and see the world.''