Ian Lipinski has been sailing in Class40 since 2018 under the colors of Crédit Mutuel, a Raison design that introduced the first generation of scow. He made his debut in the Mini Transat, with two wins in a row, first in the series in 2015 and then in proto in 2017. Although he did not follow the classic route to become an offshore sailor, he has nonetheless distinguished himself with great performances.
With less than a month to go, what is your state of mind?
I'm a little more serene, we've been preparing the boat for two years. We are technically ready. I'm not stressed, unlike two years ago when we just launched the boat. Little by little, the excitement is building up until the start. I'm starting to think about it, to visualize the different phases.
What are your ambitions for this Transat Jacques Vabre as the title holder?
It's the same for every race, to do the best I can. I have a boat that is probably capable of winning. It's a lot more complicated than two years ago because this year there will be several skippers and boats performing well. So I have no certainty about that. Given the competition, anything can happen. I have the same ambitions as two years ago, to sail my boat as well as possible, without making mistakes, not sailing beyond what I know how to do and not less than what I know how to do either.
Can you tell us about your boat and your preparation? You have sailed it a lot and you must know it perfectly after two years?
We did a big job last winter. We changed the mast, the rigging and its geometry, we moved ballast tanks and lightened the boat. We also worked hard on the sail set.
These improvements follow the new Class40 line-up which is pushing upwards. The competition is tough. And we wanted to give our best to improve our boat. We especially validated the choices that have been made since and participated in the usual training sessions in Lorient with a group of Class40s
Can you tell us about your co-skipper - Julien Pulvé - and this choice?
I had many co-skippers on the races of the year because I didn't know which one to choose. I wanted to share great moments with everyone and to sail as much as possible. With Julien, we met on the 2015 Mini Transat. We were very close on the water for the first and the second race e place in a production boat. It brought us a lot closer together.
I like him humanly. He is very positive, good humored and respectful. He has a much more racing background than me, as he has been racing since he was very young. What reassures me is that he is more technical, because of his experience.
I chose a good friend and I'm happy to have him on board. It was not easy to train because he is in La Rochelle, but we found time last spring and accelerated things this fall. We've been training more and more. We had already sailed together last year in the Normandy Channel Race, so he knows the boat well.
What are the constraints and advantages of a double-handed race format compared to solo racing?
The advantage is that it is already easier psychologically. It changes everything. In the hard times, we'll face everything together. As for the good times. It helps to keep a cool head. It's reassuring to be together in case of unexpected events. It's also easier to manage your sleep. Everything is easier with two people. That's the advantage of the small crew, I like this format. It has a nice side. But you lose the big challenge of a solo race. In short, being with two people is comfortable.
What do you think of the new race courses? What will it change?
The portion up to Cape Verde, we did it more or less on the previous edition. On this first phase, it doesn't change anything. On the other hand, going to the West Indies instead of Brazil, it changes and it's more interesting. It's a little less favourable to new boats, to high-performance hulls with downwind sailing and tailwinds. It also changes things for the choice of sails.
It smoothes out the performance of the boats between old and new. Strategically, I'm happy. It's more interesting, we'll be tacking, there's this north-south gap.
How do you feel about the competition, both in personal and material terms (boat)?
The field is strong, there is a good level. There are about fifteen boats that can aim for first place. Crédit Mutuel is still performing well. We also have more experience than the others. We don't know much about the new designs: Lombard, VPLP and Verdier. We're wondering about them, but they're probably good boats.
The Class40 rule is well done. The scows have different hulls, but they have the same weight and the same righting. There is no reason for one to go faster. We're not into one-design, but when you see the different designs sailing together, they're pretty close in terms of performance. If a competitor is faster, it won't be because of the pure speed of his boat.
There are some very good names in ocean racing, emeritus Figarists, successful racers or skippers more typical of ocean racing.
I'm trying to concentrate on my boat and my duo so that I don't have to look at what's going on around me.
After the Transat Jacques Vabre, what are your plans?
First, the Route du Rhum 2022.
My real guideline is to continue doing this job. I love it, I enjoy it. It's very rich. I want to continue sailing; we discuss it with my partners and we look at what's happening in Class40.
The Race Around the World in 4 stages would motivate me. For the moment it remains hypothetical, as much on my side as on the side of the race organization. It would be very new for me. There would be a lot of work to do, looking for the right solutions to sail in the South. It would be a great adventure, a bit of a commitment.
