Letter from Cdre James Parkin
I am hugely privileged to have just been appointed as the new President of the RN RM Motorsport Association, and I am writing to introduce myself, welcome new members to the Association, and (most importantly) thank all those existing members who have worked so hard to ensure that we have six competitive teams for the 2019 season.
As someone with a passion for motorsport (including once managing to have my ship’s crest painted on the nosecone of two F1 cars in the Brazilian Grand Prix), I am delighted to be able to serve as your President. I will work to raise the profile of the Association, both within the Naval Service and with external stakeholders, and work hard to thank the sponsors whose generosity allows us to continue our sport. In addition, although I am about to deploy on operations in the Baltic for a few months, when I return in the summer I will work with the Committee to ensure I visit every team ‘track side’ in order to experience the real RN RM motorsport experience.
Rear Admiral Bath, the 2* lead for Sport in the RN and RM, recently re-iterated the importance placed on Representative Sport, as it develops the resilience, teamwork, fitness and all-important sense of humour which are vital to ensuring that we can deliver high tempo operational output. We are very fortunate to work for a Service which recognises the importance of activities such as ours, and enables us to thus have ‘duty status’ not only when we are competing, but also travelling to and from our fixtures.
So, please maintain the will to win and remember that we are all involved in ‘flying the flag’ – the way in which you interact with your competitors and your spectators will demonstrate the best of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines – and it will help with recruiting too. So, please seize those opportunities when you get them, and show everyone you meet that the members of the RNRMMSA really are the Best of British. All six teams have a busy season ahead, and I wish you all the best for 2019. If you come across me in a naval context, please say hello, and I look forward to meeting you all very soon.
Yours aye, James Parkin
9 Apr 19