Class40 Credit Mutuel announces its participation in the Globe40

by Sirius Events 24 Jan 2025 17:36 GMT

Credit Mutuel © Qaptur / Crédit Mutuel

The Class40 CREDIT MUTUEL program for 2025 was announced yesterday and will offer its skipper Ian Lipinski a superb challenge between the Mediterranean in April (CIC MED CHANNEL RACE) and the English Channel in May (CIC NORMANDY CHANNEL RACE) before setting off on the great adventure around the world of the GLOBE40 with a departure on August 31 from Lorient (prologue) then from Cadiz (Grand Départ) for 8 months of racing. Innovation, audacity, openness to the world are the key themes of this 2025 campaign.

For 2025, Ian Lipinski and the Class40 Crédit Mutuel have concocted an unprecedented, unrivalled and hence enticing programme! It is set to comprise a journey of discovery with the debut edition of the CIC Med Channel Race (start on 27 April), of confirmation in familiar territory in the CIC Normandy Channel Race (start on 25 May), and of offshore adventure in the Globe 40 La Grande Route (start on 31 August), an eight-month double-handed round the world epic with stopovers!

Organised by the same team (Sirius Events) in line with the same format as the CIC Normandy Channel Race, the debut edition of the CIC Med Channel Race will welcome competitors to Marseille for the start. There will be some marks to round off the islands of France's Var region, off Calvi on the east coast of Sardinia and Palma in Mallorca, before returning to Marseille. "I've never raced in the Mediterranean before, though I do know Corsica a little, beams Ian Lipinski. There are some inspirational places along the way but I'm also aware of their reputation due to the quick shifts in the weather in this region. For logistical reasons, we'll be racing with the Class40 158. In light of the upcoming round the world, we decided it was more reasonable to keep the Class40 202 close to our base so we can go training on her and prepare her accordingly."

On 25 May, Ian Lipinski will set sail from Caen aboard the 202 in the CIC Normandy Channel Race, a format spanning the English Channel and the Irish Sea, which is a familiar racetrack for him. This will serve as an excellent dress rehearsal prior to the official start of the Globe 40 La Grande Route.

Following a prologue in Lorient on 31 August, the second edition of this round the world will set sail from Cadiz (Spain) on 14 September, bound for Mindelo (Cape Verde), followed by five other stopovers (Reunion Island, Sydney, Valparaiso, Recife and Lorient as the final destination).

"Circumnavigating the globe has never been an imperative in my seafaring life because I don't think too much about stuff that hasn't been decided, says the level-headed Ian. My motivation kicks in as soon as I have an objective to fulfil. My eagerness comes from something concrete. My family will follow me in my journey because it's a fantastic opportunity to get the children out of their school and set off to explore the planet. Equally, these long legs will also be a significant boon in my preparation for the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe 2026, the grand finale of the programme. By then, we'll have done so much work to ensure the boat is reliable and performing at her best!"

The 2025 programme for the Skipper Crédit Mutuel team:

CIC Med Channel Race, departs Marseille on 27 April
CIC Normandy Channel Race, departs Caen on 25 May
Globe40 La Grande Route, 7-leg event, 4 of them in 2025