El gomero es el canoa más antiguo de Martinica. Su nombre viene del árbol gomero en el cual se cava su casco.

Utilizado ya desde la época precolombina, el canoa gomero sobrevive hoy en Martinica, principalmente gracias à las actividades del CLUB DES GOMMIERS DE LA MARTINIQUE.

Creada en 1981, esta asociación presidida por una mujer, Anne-Marie LOISEAU, organiza durante todo el año, regatas, exposiciones, iniciaciones y otras animaciones para valorizar aquel monumento del patrimonio naútico del Caribe.

El Club des Gommiers de la Martinique consta de más de 200 miembros y 12 gomeros.

Proa de Gomero
Construyendo un Gomero

Contáctenos :
Club des Gommiers de la Martinique
Plage de Corps de Garde 97228 SAINTE-LUCE

Tél/fax : 0596 62 42 20
e-mail : club.des.gommiers@wanadoo.fr

Vista parcial de regata

Le Club des Gommiers de la Martinique a pour vocation de préserver la plus profonde racine nautique de l’île, le gommier, embarcation héritée des précolombiens.

"Délaissé depuis quelques temps déjà, comme moyen de transport des personnes et des marchandises le gommier n’a plus d’avenir non plus, en tant que bateau de pêche.
Construction et matériaux nouveaux, techniques de navigation modernes le condamnent définitivement.
Or, voilà qu’il renaît comme voilier de loisirs et de compétition."

(In : Serge LUCAS ; Gommier, le canot Caraïbe).

Aujourd’hui, notre Club organise toute l’année des manifestations culturelles et sportives autour du gommier.
Un document vidéo, une exposition itinérante, relatent les différentes étapes de la construction d’un gommier, de l’arbre au canot.

Toile réalisée par Caesar CONRAD, pour "Brest 96",
dans le cadre de l'exposition internationale : "Les Toiles de Mer"

The gommier, dug out from the tree which gives it its name who was already used by the arawaks and the Caribs many centuries ago, when they came from the Amazonian Plains to inhabit the Eastern Antilles, before the arrival of Christopher Columbs.

Painting realized by Edith JACQUIEZ, for "Brest 96",
in the international exhibition of : "Les Toiles de Mer"

The gommier canoe is undoubtedly the oldest boat in the Caribbean, particularly in Martinique.

During tne Second World War many people from Martinique made their way, mainly of gommier canoes, to liberated France.

They were labeled "dissidents" with scorn.

Today, forgotten, they are often disapointed.

Until the 1950’s, the gommiers canoes was omnipresent in the Martinique’s economic, social and cultural life. It was prevalent for fishing as for transporting goods, people, mails and even corpses…

While returning from fishing, the crews often challenged each other; this is how the first sailing canoe races began, in an era where motors did not exist.

Presently our chipwrights have essentially turned it into a racing boat.

There are several types of competition gommier canoes:

With oars (three or four oars or one pair)

With a sail.

Demonstration in Brest, year 2000

The CLUB DES GOMMIERS DE LA MARTINIQUE
is born in 1981

In 1981, Emile AMPIGNY was nominated by Thomas TOUREL and Marceau BRELEUR to be the first Président of the Club des Gommiers à Voile de Compétition de la Martinique (Racing gommier sailing Club of Martinique).

Since then, the following have headed the Club:

Maurice HAUSTANT, Marceau Breleur, Gaétan, Gérard LARGEN, Thomas TOUREL once again Gérard LARGEN, and today, for the first time a women : Anne-Marie LOISEAU

Training youths in gommier sailing and encouraging the participation of women without discrimination are as much a part of C.G.M. activities as regattas or an exhibition.

Amongst its efforts are activities aimed at establishing close ties with neighboring.

Ste-Lucia and Dominica, particulary base on the gommier