The engineer who introduced the scow design to the Class 40 with David Raison
Ian Lipinski, born on September 20, 1981, in Paris, is an engineer graduated fromISAE-SUPAERO (Toulouse) and a member of Lorient Grand Large. He trained in sailing at the Glénans sailing school before transitioning to ocean racing, where he has teamed up for ten years with naval architectDavid Raison — first in the Mini 6.50 class, then across two generations of Class 40.
Mini 6.50: 16 consecutive wins on #865
Between 2013 and 2017, Lipinski racked up16 consecutive victories on the Mini #865 (Maximum, Raison design). He won the 2015 Mini Transat in the series category and the 2017 Mini Transat in the prototype class — two editions, two categories, two victories — and secured three Mini Fastnet wins (2013, 2016, 2017) plus two TransGascogne victories (2015, 2017).
Class 40: from #158 to #202, the first scow in the class
In 2018, Crédit Mutuel backed him in the Class 40. The boat#158, David Raison design launched in August 2019, was thefirst scow in the Class 40 — rounded bow, wide forward hull: an architectural choice that later spread across the entire class. The #158 won the Transat Jacques Vabre in its launch year with Adrien Hardy and set the Class 40 24-hour record (415.86 nautical miles) shortly after. In 2024–2025, the program moved to the#202, also a Raison design.
Globe 40 2025–2026: world tour victory with 5 of 7 legs won
In April 2026, Lipinski won the2nd edition of the Globe 40 on the Class 40 Crédit Mutuel #202. A double-handed round-the-world race with crew rotations: Antoine Carpentier as the main crew throughout, joined by Amélie Grassi and Alan Roberts on several legs. Final tally:5 wins out of 7 legs (including prologue).
Achievements
- 2015: winner of the Mini Transat (series) on Mini #865; winner of the TransGascogne
- 2017: winner of the Mini Transat (prototype) on Mini #865; winner of the TransGascogne; winner of the Mini Fastnet
- 2019: winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre Class 40 with Adrien Hardy on Crédit Mutuel #158; Class 40 24-hour record (415.86 nautical miles)
- 2020: single-handed record for the Round Britain and Ireland (7 days 17 hours 50 minutes)
- 2021: improved Class 40 24-hour record (428.53 nautical miles) with Ambrogio Beccaria
- 2022: winner of the CIC Normandy Channel Race with Ambrogio Beccaria
- 2023: winner of the Défi Atlantique with Antoine Carpentier and Rémi Fermin; 2nd in the Normandy Channel Race with Antoine Carpentier
- 2024: 2nd in The Transat CIC solo on #158; 13th in the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe in 16 days 14 hours 8 minutes
- 2025: winner of the CIC Med Channel Race (1st edition) with Alberto Bona
- 2026: winner of the Globe 40 (2nd edition) on Class 40 Crédit Mutuel #202 — Antoine Carpentier as main crew, Amélie Grassi and Alan Roberts as relief crew — 5 wins out of 7 legs (including prologue)
Links
Partnership site skippercreditmutuel.fr • personal site ianlipinski.com
