Pogo vs. JPK in the Caribbean: Cap Martinique inspires with its unique spirit

45 boats with 76 sailors set off on the 4,000 nautical mile route from La Trinité-sur-Mer to Fort-de-France on Martinique on 20 April 2026. Sam Manuard and Erwann Le Mené crossed the finish line first in the two-man team on the Pogo RC designed by Manuard, while Alexandre Ozon won the solo race on his JPK 10.50 - a duel between boat developers that is electrifying the regatta scene. But the special thing about Cap Martinique is the spirit: the competitors help each other here.

How it all began with whisky

"We had a whisky. I asked Jean-Philippe: 'Why don't we organise this? He refused at first," says Thibault Derville, co-founder of Cap Martinique. "Then, with the second whisky, he said: 'Why not?" So began the story of a regatta in 2019 that was to be unlike any other. Derville called a friend in Martinique the next morning - two months later he was on the island and had the first commitments from sponsors.

Together with Jean-Philippe Cau, Derville developed a vision: a regatta with three words at its core - friendship, safety and benefit. "Each boat should support a non-profit organisation to give visibility to millions of people who would otherwise never be talked about," explains Derville in the marquee at the harbour of Fort de France while waiting for the first boats to arrive. The French sailing associations call the regatta "the little Route du Rhum". But COVID forced the organisers to postpone the first edition from 2020 to 2022. The first edition in 2022 started with 38 boats, followed by 60 boats in 2024.

"I sailed the Route du Rhum myself on a Class 40 in 2006 - 23rd out of 25 Class 40s," recalls Derville. "I was disappointed when I arrived in Guadeloupe. I entered the marina, they gave me a berth number and that was it." The Cap Martinique should be different: "Every skipper should be welcomed like a hero. That's why we take all families and friends on a boat and pick up the skippers, even in the middle of the night."

A duel between boat developers

Cap Martinique 2026 was also a kind of showdown between two design legends: Sam Manuard, whose Class 40 designs dominated the fleet for years, who caused a sensation with foiling Mini 6.50s and developed the IMOCA 60 'L'Occitane en Provence' for the 2020 Vendée Globe, and Jean-Pierre Kelbert, former European windsurfing champion and founder of the JPK Composites shipyard, whose boats regularly triumph in the Fastnet Race, Spi Ouest France and other major regattas. Both boats are high-bred IRC-optimised racing machines in a 10-metre format - and both fought a thrilling duel.

Sam Manuard and Erwann Le Mené were the first to finish in the double-handed category with their Pogo RC, but ended up in second place according to the IRC classification - behind the JPK 10.50 "Ose" of Eric Paul and Maxime Paul. Alexandre Ozon, meanwhile, won the single-handed category with the JPK 10.50 "Trophée Estuaire Rose". Jean-Pierre Kelbert finished in second place in the solo category on the JPK 10.50 "Persaivert" - after 21 days, 21 hours and 58 minutes - including a 45-minute time penalty for violating the exclusion zone off Mauritania. Other boats are still underway and can be followed on the tracker.

Manuard and Le Mené: fight against Sargassum

"Last night was very complicated because of the sargassum. We had no more reference points, no speed. It was quite confusing," says Erwann Le Mené, pointing to the remains of the braking seaweed on the railing and in the cockpit. The duo had felt the chasing pack behind them for 48 hours - every metre counted. "We always told ourselves that every centimetre we didn't lose could count."

Sam Manuard, one of the most sought-after naval architects on the scene, was impressed by his own boat: "The boat is fast. The limiting factor was us rather than the yacht." Erwann Le Mené adds: "We travelled over 4,000 nautical miles, although the direct route is only 3,800 miles. Every time we hoped to take a more direct route, the area with unfavourable winds was larger than expected. So we had to keep heading further south. But we had confidence in the speed of the boat."

The duo supported the organisation "Guérir en Mer" ("Healing at Sea"), which accompanies health professionals suffering from burnout through sailing experiences.

Kelbert's battle in the Bay of Biscay

Jean-Pierre Kelbert also had to carry his own baggage. "I caught a net in around 30 knots of wind in the Bay of Biscay - at the wrong time, in the wrong place," he explains. "I had just jibed and mastered the manoeuvre well. Then, under autopilot, I didn't see two floats in time. The boat got caught in the net - it was impossible to get out without freeing everything."

The rescue was dramatic: "I injured my thumb, there was blood everywhere in the cockpit. I damaged the spinnaker, went backwards, tried everything with the boat hook and rod - in the end I had to cut through everything. That cost me maybe 10 miles. But above all, you lose a lot of energy in an incident like that."

Later, he also had to fight against sargassum: "The sargassum gets caught in the oars, they jam and lose their effect. On your own, you have to wait until the boat is almost lying on its side to get aft and free the oars. As soon as you've hoisted the spinnaker, righted the boat and are underway again, the next pile of algae appears - and everything starts all over again."

Kelbert also fought strategically: "At Cape Finisterre we were grouped together again, almost within reach. I went to sleep in complete calm. When I woke up an hour later, the others were a mile ahead. I had drifted in the wrong direction, they had drifted in the right direction - just by the orientation of the boat."

Despite all the setbacks, Kelbert was enthusiastic: "The boat is really crazy, with really strong acceleration. It's incredible fun - that was also the reason why I came here."

Two philosophies, one goal

The Pogo RC combines the latest design expertise from the Mini 650, Class 40 and Imoca 60 classes. Sam Manuard and Bernard Nivelt have tailored the concept very specifically to optimise the IRC handicap. The deck layout is specially designed for long-distance racing in single or double mode, but also offers a sporty platform for an ambitious four- to five-person regatta team on short distances.

The Pogo RC favours downwind power with a wide stern hull, reduced weight and strong acceleration under spinnaker. In the gusts and with the A2 gennaker, the speed can quickly reach 12 knots and more. However, the boat is not a self-runner - only experienced regatta sailors will be able to cope with this complex design.

The JPK 10.50, on the other hand, is based on a different concept: it heralds a pioneering era in ocean racing with breathtaking speed, precise control and pure racing fun. She is equally impressive on open upwind courses, where she remains almost unrivalled. At 60 to 70 degrees to the true wind, the water at the transom breaks smoothly at 3 to 4 Beaufort.

YACHT has tested both boats:

Pogo RC: Please hold on tight - the Brittany Express is on its way! - Pogo RC in the YACHT test.

Lightweight construction meets full throttle - JPK 10.50 in the YACHT test.

An insider tip for ambitious amateurs - also from Germany!

The company, which is hardly known in this country Cap Martinique has a unique spirit. "In the WhatsApp group, you can see how everyone helps each other. Because everyone has problems and the Transat is still a real challenge," says Derville. Sam Manuard confirmed: "The spirit was fantastic. The sailors talked about their problems and helped each other. I don't know of any other races where it works like this." Every skipper is welcomed like a hero - Derville and his team pick up all participants with family and friends by boat, even in the middle of the night.

The rules for participation are clear: no professionals, teams must have at least 500 miles of regatta experience with three nights at sea, and every application is checked by the race director. "If we feel that someone is not safe enough, we won't let them start," explains Derville. The participants are between 21 and 76 years old - the oldest is currently sailing in sixth or seventh place in the duo. The organisation is completely voluntary: "None of us earn any money from the regatta. My friends are volunteers who sacrifice their holiday time."

The next edition will take place in 2028, and registrations are expected to be possible from December 2026. For ambitious German amateur sailors with deep-sea ambitions, this is a real opportunity for a non-stop Atlantic rally from France to the Caribbean: "Germans would be very welcome, provided they share the spirit of the regatta and fulfil the safety requirements," emphasises Derville. One German participant had already registered, but had to cancel for professional reasons - so there is definitely room for German crews looking for the adventure of crossing the Atlantic in a unique atmosphere.

A difficult Atlantic crossing

The 2026 edition presented the sailors with unexpected challenges. The participants were hoping for classic trade winds, but the weather conditions fundamentally changed the racing scenario. Transition zones, irregular winds and long courses to the south forced the teams to constantly rethink their courses.

The delays were considerable: organiser Thibault Derville had expected the first boats to arrive on 7 May - in fact, Manuard and Le Mené only crossed the finish line on 11 May, four days later than planned. "We expected the last boat to arrive on 19 May," said Derville. The originally planned award ceremony had to be adjusted: It will take place even though not all the boats have arrived yet. A second, spontaneously organised ceremony will follow as soon as all participants have arrived in Fort-de-France - further proof that no one is forgotten at this regatta.

Alexandre Ozon summarises: "It really was the 'Grand Tour de l'Atlantique'! We were pushed further and further south and then had to make a big turn to the north-west to even get to Martinique. Really challenging!"

Martinique as a regatta destination

Fort-de-France and Martinique have established themselves as a popular destination for transatlantic regattas. In addition to Cap Martinique, the Caribbean island was the destination of the renowned Transat Jacques Vabre - one of the most important professional regattas in sailing - for the first time in 2021. After two editions in Salvador de Bahia (Brazil), a total of 79 boats with 158 professional sailors travelled from Le Havre to Fort-de-France in 2021, including IMOCA, Class 40, Ocean Fifty and Ultim trimarans.

The Transat Jacques Vabre (now renamed Transat Café L'Or) also ended in Fort-de-France in 2023 and 2025 - Martinique has thus established itself as a permanent fixture on the international regatta calendar. However, the Route du Rhum, the queen of solo transatlantic races, has been heading to Pointe-à-Pitre on Guadeloupe since 1978, not to Martinique.

The Cap Martinique is part of this tradition - with its own unmistakable character as a regatta for amateurs with heart.