The yole races
In Martinique, yawl racing is more than just a sporting event: "It's the business of a whole people", as Aimé Césaire put it. The yawl, which has been used for fishing in Martinique for over three centuries, has evolved over the years into a popular, fast and sleek canoe, thanks to the yawl races. A major sporting and cultural event on the island, the Tour de la Martinique has been held every year in July since 1985, and sees a dozen boats compete in Martinique's waters over a period of five to seven days, in stages that circumnavigate the island. This is the Tour de la Martinique des yoles rondes.
The legacy of an ancestral tradition
The history of this craft goes back to the 17th century, to the time of the first Amerindian navigators who criss-crossed the islands of the Caribbean arc to travel and, above all, to fish. At the time, they used light sailing boats, inherited from African pirogues and made from gum trees. The yawl was inspired by this typical Caribbean tree, named "bwa fouyé" (dug). The trunk was dug out and carved into a light, fast canoe.
But fishermen realized that the gum tree was rather unstable and, above all, that it was becoming rarer on the island, so they began to build a different kind of craft: a fishing canoe, initially with a flat bottom for stability and to allow the sail area to be increased so that they could sail further. Over time, the technique improved and these boats became yawls, the result of a blend of naval techniques from different components, giving rise to a fishing boat about 6.50 meters long, narrow, light and... round for greater stability on the water. A keelless, rudderless boat! A real technical feat, the yawl holds its shape on the water solely thanks to the upright wood.
Of course, not everyone can build a yawl. It requires a unique know-how, stemming from a tradition inherited from marine carpenters. The yawl is designed by assembling planks, or "bordés", fixed horizontally to a wooden frame to form the transverse structure of the hull.
The yawl-building technique can't be improvised. It's the result of ancestral know-how, passed down orally by a handful of initiates through an apprenticeship that's akin to "compagnonnage" and often family-run, without the aid of any plans or models: it's all in the heads of these marine carpenters, the only ones who know the yawl's well-kept manufacturing secrets! These craftsmen of the sea need all the know-how they've inherited from their ancestors to create, in just a few tides, a hull with pure lines and a large square sail with no ballast.
The wood is cut according to the lunar cycle, which has a proven influence on the sap's path. So, you have to wait for the sap to go down before you can cut the wood used to build the yawl. In all, to build a yawl, it takes at least two to three months of work! And all without a plan.
Symbols of Martinique's know-how
Over time, the yawl's hull was further modified to create an even faster craft. It was not uncommon for fishermen to organize friendly competitions between themselves, challenging each other to see who could get there first. From a purely utilitarian means of transport, the yawl became an object of competition, a sport unique in the world and typical of Martinique. And so, in 1985, the Tour de la Martinique des Yoles Rondes was born, offering the world's only spectacle of boats with colorful sails battling it out on the big blue in the island's various ports. The event became a symbolic object, an intense moment that today mobilizes tens of thousands of Martiniquais.
At the same time, the yawl became more professional. No longer completely round, it became a little flatter and slightly raised on the edges, to combine stability and speed. For a long time, yawls were made from Martinique wood (the only material authorized for yawl construction is solid wood), notably pearwood. Today, yawls are mainly made from white mahogany or Guiana wood. In most cases, the wood used is imported, already treated and, above all, lightweight: the heavier the wood, the slower the yawl will go. As for the mast, there are two types: either a rib mast or a carbon mast, which is more expensive than the rib mast.
In addition to its unique construction process, the yawl requires special navigation techniques, based on a spirit of association and collaboration.
The crew on board includes the boat's captain, or "boss", who is the sole master on board. He's surrounded by helper skippers and an outhaul operator, in charge of the ropes attached to the sail ends. It is he who makes the sail slack or tight. Next come the "bwa dressés" or training crew. Their role is to balance the yawl according to the strength of the wind.
All these specific features led the yawl committee, the Fédération des Yoles Rondes de la Martinique, in charge of defending and promoting the Martinique yawl, to seek recognition for the Martinique round yawl, which has become a strong symbol of the island.
A move that has borne fruit, since the yole was recognized as a sporting discipline, then included in France's national inventory of intangible cultural heritage in 2017, and, since January 2021, the yole has been listed in Unesco's register of "good practices in safeguarding intangible heritage".
More than just an accreditation, this recognition is a reminder of the invaluable know-how of the Martiniquais, so that it can be safeguarded and passed on to future generations.
