Page 8. MAINE COASTAL NEWS December 2013 Waterfront News NAVY NEWS - P-8A AIRCRAFT PROGRAM - HAGEL VISITS BIW


By LaToya T. Graddy Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft Program Offi ce (PMA-290) Public Affairs JACKSONVILLE, FL (NNS) -- The Navy’s newest maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, the P-8A Poseidon, has achieved initial operational capability (IOC) after the fi rst two P-8A Poseidons departed for deployment Nov. 29.


This announcement comes weeks after the completion of the Operational Readi- ness Evaluation of the fi rst deploying P-8A Poseidon squadron and the commander of Patrol and Reconnaissance Group offi cially declaring the fi rst P-8A squadron, Patrol Squadron 16 (VP-16), “prepared for deploy- ment” Nov. 4.


“This IOC declaration is the culmina- tion of years of careful planning and coor-


ITAJAI, BRASIL. Breaking the fi nish line on an overcast, humid morning in Southern Brasil, French duo Vincent Riou and Jean Le Cam won the IMOCA Open 60 class at 10h 41min 47 sec local time (12h 41m 47s UTC/ GMT) completing the 5450 miles course to Itajaí from Le Havre.


The elapsed time for their race is 17d 0h


41mn 47sec , sailing at an average speed of 13.21 kts for the theoretical course. In fact they sailed 5771 miles on the water, at a real average speed of 14.12 kts. When they fi nished, the second placed


IMOCA Open 60 was around 50 miles be- hind in second. It is the fi rst major transoceanic race triumph for Riou since he won the Vendée Globe solo round the world race in 2005 and the biggest recent win for veteran Le Cam. Appropriately as winner of the class in


anniversary edition Riou was one of the competitors in the very fi rst edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre in 1993 racing a multihull.


this 20th


dinated effort by the fl eet, resource sponsor, acquisition community, and industry,” said Capt. Scott Dillon, program manager for Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Air- craft Program Offi ce (PMA-290). By achieving IOC, the Navy can effec- tively deploy the P-8A for operational mis- sions and continue to successfully transition from the aging P-3C. The Poseidon program is on track for completing the remaining preparations for the fi rst operational deploy- ment of a P-8A squadron. “With the P-3 to P-8 transition well underway at Jacksonville, VP-16 is execut- ing an Inter-Deployment Readiness Cycle and is on track to be the fi rst P-8 squadron to deploy. VP-5 has completed their P-8 transition, and VP-45 has commenced P-8 transition after returning from deployment


The duo win their class despite an ex- press pit stop in Madeira to replace a rudder fi tting. “Rudders are broken now because of the pressure we put them under, whether ours or that of MACIF” commented Le Cam prior to fi nishing, referring to near rivals MACIF (Francois Gabart and Michel Desjoyeaux) who also made an early pit stop, in Portugal, to complete a similar repair.


The duel for second place was being played out as PRB fi nished, only a few miles separating second placed Safran (Marc Guillemot and Pascal Bidégorry) and Maitre CoQ (Jéremie Beyou and Christopher Pratt). The Story in detail, Brothers in Arms win together.


Both individually and separately over their 25 years or so of ocean racing Vincent Riou and Jean Le Cam have suffered their fair share of misfortunes and hard times. In Itajaí, Brasil as they basked in the satisfaction of winning Transat Jacques Vabre’s IMOCA Open 60 class from a fl eet of 10, all boats which started the last Vendée


2013 LOBSTER BOAT RACE CD


this past summer. In addition to leading the fl eet transition process, VP-30 is also producing P-8 qualifi ed replacement per- sonnel for direct accession into P-8 qualifi ed squadrons,” said Rear Adm. Matt Carter, Commander Patrol and Reconnaissance Group. “There has never been a greater need for a new patrol and reconnaissance aircraft now that the aging P-3 is nearing the end of its life cycle. The P-8 is a true multi-mission platform, which will continue to provide us invaluable capabilities.”


“The number of submarines in the world is increasing rapidly. Other countries are either building or purchasing advanced, quiet, and extremely hard to fi nd subma- rines and we need to be able to match that technology to be able to detect them. The P-8, along with the Triton, will strengthen


Globe solo round the world race, they fi nally shared the magical moments together, not only triumphing in the prestigious monohull class, but knowing that they put together a great race over the longest ever course in the 20 year history of the two handed ‘coffee route’ route from Le Havre. Their fi rm friendship was cemented af- ter Riou rescued Le Cam from his upturned monhull of Cape Horn during the 2008-9 Vendée Globe. But close as they became, they confi rmed today that episode was not a reason in itself to team up their talents. Indeed, Riou, winner of the 2004-5 Vendée Globe ahead of second placed Le Cam, said he now looked forwards to racing against his winning co-skipper again soon.


Ironically today is almost exactly one year to the day that Riou had to abandon his last Vendée Globe after striking an un- marked steel buoy approaching the Brasilian coast.


Both had to abandon their last Transat


Jacques Vabre. While the typically effusive, charismatic Le Cam – his humour as dry as the salt encrusted hard on his face after 17 days at sea – summarised his fi rst ever win in the Transat Jacques Vabre, “ This was my seventh race, so one (win) in seven. My last one was with Yves (Le Blévec) on the Multi 50 Actual and we fi nished in Cherbourg. Let’s say it is more enjoyable to arrive in Brasil”


And it is doubly apposite too that Riou


also fi nally wins this anniversary edition, as one of the 13 starters in the fi rst ever race in 1993.


About 1,800 photographs from all eleven 2013 lobster boat races. $12.50, which includes postage.


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Historic Photos


Continued from Page 7.


shoes from around the world, Maine hooked rugs, and a re-created nineteenth century ship’s cabin will all be a part of Penobscot Marine Museum’s exhibit. The museum will even open up its own cellar to show the world of food storage before refrigeration. Check www.penobscotmarinemuseum.org for winter talks and workshops. To enter your gingerbread house, or for more information on the museum’s Gingerbread Christmas, call Lin Calista at 207-548-0334.


Underfoot: Footwear, Hooked Rugs, In the Cellar and Below Decks runs through Saturday, February 22. Museum Gallery, Shop and Framer hours are 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, Thursday through Saturday. Museum Gallery, Shop and Framer, 40 East Main Street, Searsport, Maine. For more informa- tion call 207-548-0334 or 207-548-2529.


the maritime mission and provide greater situational awareness,” Carter added. This year was fi lled with crucial pro- grammatic milestones for the program of- fi ce, including the successful completion of Initial Operational Test and Evaluation and the on-going delivery of initial production aircraft in support of the fi rst three P-3 to P-8 squadron transitions. To date, 12 low rate initial production aircraft were delivered to the fl eet, and the fi nal aircraft in the second production lot is on-track to deliver ahead of schedule and prior to the end of the year. The program offi ce along with the P-8 Fleet Integration Team in Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, FL, is continuing to support the transitioning squadrons with


Continued on Page 19. Vincent Riou and Jean Le Cam on PRB win the IMOCA Open 60 class in the Transat Jacques Vabre


PRB took the lead initially off Britan-


ny’s Chenal de Four, setting a furious pace as the leaders headed into a challenging passage across the Bay of Biscay. In fact all of the top fi ve latest generation IMOCA Open 60’s – MACIF, PRB, Safran, Maitre CoQ and Cheminées Poujoulat – all lead the class at some time.


Francois Gabart and Michel Desjo-


when they were the fi rst IMOCA Open 60 team to need to pitstop, making a rapid rudder replacement in Peniche, Portugal. PRB took control again then until they were forced to replicate MACIF’s technical halt, making a very similar rudder repair in the Cape Verde islands. It took them 45 minutes but it was enough to let MACIF – who also took the same passage through the islands – escape away to build a lead of 23 miles when PRB left Mindelo. And the match race was very soon back on. As they went through the Doldrums almost together, there was very little in it, emerging with just one to one and a half miles between them, speed racing in the SE’ly trade winds like an afternoon training session out of Port La Foret where they all train. MACIF do move progressively away. But on 21st


yeaux, the Vendée Globe winning duo, were most regular leaders until their rudder failed and on the afternoon of Sunday November 10th


November the news sud-


denly emerges that leaders MACIF have dismasted. The PRB team take the lead again, disappointed at the loss of their near- est rivals, who – they asserted – had been sailing a ‘perfect’ race.


Although MACIF is forced out, the pressure stays on PRB until the fi nal days, but as Riou and Le Cam pass through the fi nal front their win is more or less assured. Late fl ash info: Marc Guillemot and Pascal Bidégorry aboard Safran crossed the fi nish line of the Transat Jacques Vabre line in second place at 14h 43m 23s local time in Itajaí , Brazil (16:43.23 UTC). Their elapsed time for the course is 17d 04h 43min 23sec. Their average speed on the theoreti- cal course 5,450 miles from Le Havre was 13.08kts. They sailed 5748miles on the water at an average speed of 13.93 kts.


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