sailing yole of Martinique

so Peter from Captain Black’s Sea Chronicles was the 1st one to answer my question what class of sailboat is this? from yesterday.  Chris Stow in the comments also knew the answer.

Tillerman also posted the question on his blog, and his readers were a little quicker with the answer.

both the grommier sailboat and the similar yole sailboat are from the island of Martinique. the gommier sailboat is traditionally carved from the trunk of a gommier tree, sort of like a dugout canoe style.  the yole is similarly shaped, but is usually built out of wood instead of carved from the gommier tree trunk.  both boats have a large rectangular sail.  it looks like the yole is typically steered with a large pole off the aft end of the boat instead of a true rudder.

there is no keel or centerboard, so the sailing crew has to counter the heeling effects of the wind by balancing their bodies outboard of the boat on a series of wooden poles (“les bois”) along the side of the boat.

here is a short video that explains a little bit about the yole and the annual race around the island of Martinique – the Yoles Rondes de Martinique.

the race looks like it is a pretty unique time – with several races around the entire island that begin with a running start off the beach and end with a carnival celebration.  there are some great photos of the racing at Wingsail Images blog.

more information about the yole and the race can be found here and here.