The British Armed Forces Rally Team competed in the 30th International Rally Reykjavík between 12th and 14th August 2009 where they were competing for the thirteenth time. The Rally consists of 260 kilometres of stages over three days, ranging over tarmac, loose pumice, glacier-smoothed rock and plain bumpy gravel. The Rally is an unforgettable challenge for all involved.
The Team visited the embassy on 13th August and on the following day some of the Embassy staff acted as co-drivers at a special stage in Gufunes. DHM Emma Davis said after a ride in the team's Land Rovers "I have never been in a vehicle like this before so it was a bit of a thrill and quite exiting, but I was in safe hands!" Major Alan Parrymore, Team Leader, said “To come to Iceland and participate in the Rally is a good practice for our team and always refreshing. I sure hope that we will be able to participate for many years to come.”
 
The goal of the Armed Forces Rally Team is to act as the pinnacle for the British Armed Forces Motoring Association (BAFMA) to which all advanced drivers from across the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force wish to aspire. The team competes in several national British Rally Championship (BRC) events each year as well as the Almere Rally in the Netherlands and the Rally Reykjavik in Iceland. Each event includes several different classes and the Armed Forces Rally Team competes in the Land Rover 4x4 class. There is a wide spectrum of competitors with varying degrees of financial support and driving ability from the corporate sponsored works teams who spend several hundred thousand pounds a season, to single car privateers with more modest budgets.
 
This year the Armed Forces Rally Team took 15th,16th,17th,18th and 20th places. First place went to Messers Jones and Ísak. Stuart Jones is the first British driver to win Rally Reykjavík .
 
Both in the UK and abroad the Armed Forces Rally Team is very much in the public eye and as the Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Iceland remarked “the Team publicise all that is great about Her Majesty’s Forces and Great Britain."  Her Majesty’s Ambassador has also praised Mr Jones's achievement "My congratulations to Stuart on his remarkable achievement. He should be proud to be the first Britain to win Rally Reykjavík together with his Icelandic co-partner." 

 

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