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Crédit Mutuel signs its third victory on the GLOBE40, at the end of a leg marked by the extreme conditions of the southern forties and a new speed record. Ian Lipinski and Amélie Grassi crossed the finish line in Sydney on December 11, 2025 at 03:53 UTC, after sailing 5,823 miles from La Réunion at an average speed of 12.3 knots.
A high-intensity duel in the South Seas
The battle between Crédit Mutuel and Belgium Ocean Racing - Curium set the pace from start to finish. Twenty-eight changes of leader were recorded, proof of the level of commitment between the two leading crews. It was only at the end of the course, as they approached Bass Strait, that the French were able to open up a decisive gap.
On this third coefficient 2 leg, the French crew's performance enabled them to move up to second place in the provisional overall ranking. The Belgian crew, however, remains in the lead.
A highly committed stage in testing conditions
Setting out from La Réunion on November 22, 2025, the eight crews initially encountered light conditions under the influence of the Mascarene anticyclone. But by the second week, as they entered the Roaring Forties, they had to contend with sustained winds, falling temperatures and heavy seas. The course limit set at 46° South was quickly reached.
Speeds soared, with several days over 400 miles for the leaders. The Curium boat even reached 30.8 knots of instantaneous speed. This demanding regime also claimed its first victim: Next Generation Boating Around The World, the German crew, was forced to retire after major rigging damage.
Class40 enters a new era of performance
With an average speed of 12.3 knots, Crédit Mutuel pulverizes the previous record held by Ambrogio Beccaria (12.11 knots in the 2013 Transat Jacques Vabre). This figure illustrates the radical evolution of the new generation of Class40 yachts, featuring wider hulls at the bow ("scow") and an optimized sail plan.
The speeds now seen in the southern seas are reminiscent of those of the IMOCA 60s. The GLOBE40 has established itself as a technical showcase for these monohulls, which are now sailing at average speeds once reserved for much larger yachts.
For professionals in ocean racing, boatbuilding and on-board equipment, the GLOBE40 becomes a life-size laboratory. The stresses placed on hulls, appendages, sails and rigs in the southern seas are a valuable indicator for architects, sailmakers and equipment manufacturers.
