'PENDINE' AT PENDINE

The Vintagent's very irregular correspondent Mike Jackson sends these notes regarding the inaugural Pendine Sands racing weekend last June:

The beautiful new Brough Superior SS101 Pendine

"The newly-formed Pendine Landspeed Racing Club (LRC) draws on the significant history of a very historic stretch of beach in Wales, the site of many World Speed Record attempts in the 1920s. The LRC held its inaugural Speed Trial on the weekend of June 21/23rd, and the revived Brough Superior was present to test its pair of Bonneville-bound racers; Brough Superior last used the sands for this purpose in 1928! 

Since Anthony Hopkins’ film The World's Fastest Indian, interest in Land Speed Record (LSR) racing has grown exponentially, and further increased in the UK due to BBC 2's show Speed Dreams; The Fastest Place on Earth, which showed five UK riders prepping for and racing at Bonneville, in August 2012. Among the racers featured in the series was John Renwick, the charismatic and intrepid pilot of a streamliner Vincent with 3 wheels; 6-meters long! It was exciting to see every ‘Speed Dreams’ crew entered at this inaugural event at Pendine, which one hopes will become annual. 

Henry Cole was filming for ITV and the Discovery Channel; he'll ride at Bonneville

In late 2012, Paul James descended on Pendine with a small group of LSR enthusiasts for a 2-day session of timed runs. The bureaucratic obstacles thrown in their way would fill volumes, but eventually 50 entrants arrived on Friday for scrutineering, with an eclectic selection of speed-tuned motorcycles and outright projectiles. Paul James hoped to make a symbolic Opening Run on Saturday morning at 8am, but the schedule was postponed repeatedly with high winds, lousy visibility, and rain. After calling a Rider's Meeting on the sand, the LRC announced that poor weather would confine the event to demonstration runs. That blustery 15 minute meeting was blessed with both rain and watery sunshine; when it’s wet, Pendine is a special kind of hell! 

Brough mechanic - and isn't that a rare job description - Sam Lovegrove

Most competitors managed two or more demonstration runs, including Eric Patterson, the popular Kempton Park Autojumble organizer, who rode a new Brough Superior ‘Pendine’ model, appropriately enough.  Brough Superior is planning its own assault on the Bonneville Salt Flats with two new Broughs, to be ridden by Patterson, Henry Cole, and Alan Cathcart. More details on the Brough Superior run of August 24-29 2013 can be found here."

Eric Patterson models his new Lewis Leathers 'Brough Superior' kit

The Team: Sam Lovegrove, Michael Jackson, Eric Patterson, and an Italian film director, Marco Superiori, shooting a documentary on English weather.