The engineer who pioneered the scow in Class 40 with David Raison
Ian Lipinski, born on September 20, 1981 in Paris, is an engineer graduated fromISAE-SUPAERO (Toulouse) and holds a license from Lorient Grand Large. He trained in sailing at Les Glénans before switching to ocean racing, where he has teamed up for ten years with the naval architectDavid Raison — first in the Mini 6.50 class, then on 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 category — 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 of the class
In 2018, Crédit Mutuel backed him in Class 40. The boat#158, David Raison design launched in August 2019, was thefirst scow in Class 40 — rounded bow, wide forward hull: an architectural choice that would later spread across the entire class. The #158 won the Transat Jacques Vabre in its maiden year with Adrien Hardy and then set the Class 40 24-hour record (415.86 nautical miles). In 2024-2025, the program moved to the#202, also a Raison design.
Globe 40 2025-2026: round-the-world victory on 5 of 7 legs
In April 2026, Lipinski won the2nd edition of Globe 40 on the Class 40 Crédit Mutuel #202. Round-the-world double-handed race with crew rotations: Antoine Carpentier as the main crew throughout the race, joined by Amélie Grassi and Alan Roberts on several legs. Result: 5 wins out of 7 legs (including prologue).
Career highlights
- 2015: winner of the Mini Transat (series) on Mini #865; winner of TransGascogne
- 2017: winner of the Mini Transat (prototype) on Mini #865; winner of TransGascogne; winner of 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: solo record for the Round Britain and Ireland race (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
