The Tour des Yoles is the most popular event of the year, along with Carnival. Every year, between 13 and 20 round skiffs compete for the title of Tour de la Martinique. Stages are held in towns announced in advance. The rivalry between the boats is fierce. Not only do they represent the companies they display prominently on their sails, but each one is also associated with a commune of Martinique. However, several yawls can represent the same commune, and some communes - most often those that are not coastal and therefore have no access to the sea - are not represented. So it's a question of local honor to win the Tour.
It usually takes place in late July or early August. There is usually a prologue on the start day and 7 stages over 7 consecutive days. The prologue does not count towards the overall classification and is only used to award the various jerseys. It's a sort of warm-up lap. It's rarely a harbinger of things to come on the Tour. At the same time, wouldn't it be a good idea to concentrate one's energies on a race that counts for nothing, and tire oneself out when 7 long, physical stages will be at stake the very next day? This year's edition has dispensed with a prologue and will start directly with the race.
Unlike the Tour Cycliste de la Martinique, the entire length of Martinique is covered, except in cases of force majeure (bad weather).
This year, the start will be in Le Diamant. The 40th edition will take place from Sunday, July 26, 2026, to Sunday, August 2, 2026.
The "Mapipis" (favorites in yawl parlance) will once again be UFR / Chanflor, Ets Rosette / L'Appalooza, Joseph Cotrell / Leader Mat, and, of course, SARA Énergies Nouvelles / Autodistribution.
It was UFR/Chanflor, whose leader is Marc-Daniel Labourg, who came out on top in 2025. In this 40th edition, 15 crews will take the start.
Partern(s) | Association | Municipality | Boss(es) |
|---|---|---|---|
CMA-CGM | Alizé Yolés | Le Marin | Georgy Lagier Lamon |
BiMini | Aprant | Le Marin | Isaac Lafleur et Sylver Guy |
Cottrell Leader MAT | Athon | Le François | Loïc Mas et Mathieu Belhumeur |
Elizés Restaurant, Madiana Cinéma | Ay Douvan | Sainte-Anne | Marc-Emmanuel Florian |
PRIXE - Midea | Baie des Mulets | Le Vauclin | Mike Mélidor-Fuxis |
GFA Caraïbes, L'Univers du Pneu | Bwa Vire | Le Robert | Manuel Jean-Marie |
UFR - Chanflor | Caracoli | Le Robert | Marc Daniel Labourg |
CFA UMIH Formation, McDonald's | Chabin'an | Le François | Guy Albert Romer |
SMEM, Solar Inox, Triple 8 | Fem & Hom à la Barre | Le Marin | Steeve Jacqua |
— | Gommier et Tradition | Le Lamentin | Pédrick Petito |
Pli Bel Price, Pneus Cash | Lanné 2 Bobè | Martinique | Laurent Mas |
Éts Rosette, L'Appaloosa | L'Arme Fatale | Le François | Kenny Exilié et Marlo Malfleury |
SARA Énergies Nouvelles, Autodistribution | Yole Net 2000 | Le Marin | Dimitri Bereau |
Royal Fruits de Martinique - ADEP | Yole Trinitéenne | Trinité | Joe Glianny |
Mr Bricolage | Las Palmas | Le Robert | Ismaël Cellamen |
The program is as follows:
- Sunday, July 26: Stage 1: Sainte-Anne ► Le Vauclin
- Monday, July 27: Stage 2: Le Vauclin ► Le Robert
- Tuesday, July 28: Stage 3: Le Robert ► La Trinité
- Wednesday, July 29: Stage 4: La Trinité ► Saint-Pierre
- Thursday, July 30: Stage 5: Saint-Pierre ► Fort-de-France
- Friday, July 31: Stage 6: Fort-de-France ► Les Anses-d’Arlet
- Saturday, August 1: Stage 7: Les Anses-d’Arlet ► Rivière-Pilote
- Sunday, August 2: Stage 8: Rivière-Pilote ► Sainte-Anne
If you want to get there, prepare well in advance. In fact, for a stage starting at 9:00-10:00 am, the welcoming beaches are taken by storm as early as 7:00 am!
