UK: HMS Dauntless Shows Off Links with Sports Car Company

Portsmouth warship HMS Dauntless showed off its affiliation with famous sports car manufacturer the Caterham Group by inviting its employees on board.

Several staff from the Norfolk company were given a tour of the hi-tech Type 45 destroyer as part of the ship’s Affiliates Day – and in return they brought one of their Caterham Super 7 cars for sailors to get a close look at.

Dauntless is twinned with the town of Great Yarmouth and since being launched in 2007 has built up strong links with the wider region.

Her Commanding Officer, Commander Adrian Fryer, said:

“Days like this provide a great opportunity for us to show off our ship to those who help support us so well whilst we’re away.

“Caterham Group have been strong supporters of the ship over a number of years and the friendships and understanding we have for each other is only strengthened through conducting affiliation visits like this. We are extremely happy to host them as a British ‘cutting edge’ company aboard our ‘cutting edge’ ship.”

To mark the visit Dauntless was presented with an F1 car carbon fibre front winglet which will be mounted and displayed on board.

Mike Gascoyne, Caterham Group Chief Technical Officer, said:

“It’s great for the Caterham Group that we can have an affiliation with HMS Dauntless and use it as an opportunity to consider mutual areas of technical interest based around high performance engineering.”

HMS Dauntless returned from her maiden deployment to the Atlantic last October having clocked up 30,000 miles visiting 18 countries across four continents.

Since January she has been carrying out aviation trials in UK waters. She has also squeezed in trips to Great Yarmouth and her other affiliated region of Newcastle.

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Naval Today Staff, April 18, 2013; Image: Royal Navy