May Bumps Report 2023

May Bumps 2023 Report: Day 1 W1 Returning to Mays this year, our W1 came with the heavy burden of our predecessors blades staring us down. Now a ‘top 10’ boat, we had the new confusion of a ‘bottom finish’ to contend with, alongside the number 9 station that came with its very own warning paragraph in the captains’ briefing. Despite these potential set backs, we were a W1 full of excitement and excited to race for our first bump on Fitz.

Given evening hour snooping, we were confident we could be quicker than Fitz, but alas! Bumps is a game of bump or be bumped! Churchill behind us had been looking quick, clean and angry after we caught them so publicly and spectacularly last year. When the gun came, we were light and quick off the start. Despite briefly being caught in the outflow under the motorway bridge, we moved on Fitz and took our first whistle. A power ten pushed us on, but behind Churchill’s peony pink thunder was fast approaching. They gained a whistle on us, and then a second after a few flustered strokes on our part.

Thankfully we were still taking seats on Fitz little by little, but even with our base firmly in the 1:40s, we were eventually out-paced by Churchill. The up-two sprint did little to delay the inevitable and we were bumped right on first post corner. The bitter-sweet familiarity being the exact spot where we bumped Churchill last year. Onwards to tomorrow, where we seek vengeance on Churchill and aim to slip away quickly from Trinity Hall. After racing, the true heroism and our bump of the day came when W1 fought off a swan to be able to dock, without bank party or coaching assistance! No animals were harmed, although hopefully scared off for now.

M1 After a tricky past month of exams, M1 are feeling super keen to be back as a crew for bumps in the glorious sunshine. The crew has remained mostly as a unit since last term, altered slightly with the return of two experienced rowers (the two Ollies, re-joining after Michaelmas) and a new M1 member with the fastest 2Km time in the club, Sam, moving up from M2.

For the first day we were chasing down Selwyn M1 and chased by Catz M1 (the sandwich boat). Eyeing up Selwyn on the row down to marshalling, and judging by their start practices, we believed we could catch them off the start. One big problem - Catz. Catz M1 are currently one of the fastest crew on the river, with 6 returning blues taking places in their first boat. The only option for us was clear - have a killer start and reach Selwyn before Catz inevitably reach us!

To get in the zone, we started the week off with a light pre-paddle in the morning. We were feeling loose and strong on the row up to the start position at Baitsbite lock. A strong and stable start off the canon we quickly built up to a rate of 46. Despite keeping in station with Selwyn until the Motorway bridge, Catz were just too speedy. We are now head of Division 2 and will be hoping to hold on to this position to make our return to Div 1 later on in the week!

W2 When the 4 minute canon fired, everyone in the boat took a deep breath. The nerves were hitting properly now; this was real. The paddle down had been promising, but, being faster than the boat paddling to station 4, we were unable to do any rolling starts, and the division running behind meant no standing start practice either. Still, we were optimistic. We took our place on station 3, knowing we had the power and the ability to bump Clare Hall in front of us. The countdown canons kept firing, then all at once, we were going. The start was good, considering our anxious excitement, and we quickly got one whistle after keeping station for a few hundred metres. We kept one length apart until just before the Plough, when we finally got two whistles, and a call of “It’s now or never!” from Kate, the Coach, kept us strong.

At Ditton corner, it could have been the end: 2 caught a crab. Yet she recovered it well, and although Sidney behind us got one whistle, the lost it quickly and we gained on Clare Hall again! Two whistles almost immediately - our hearts soared; three whistles about halfway down the Reach - we gave it our absolute all until finally… CONTACT! Christ’s W2 bumped Clare Hall W1. And they certainly made us work hard for it! We weren’t expecting to row for so long before a bump occurred but the huge grins as we put willow leaves in our hair displayed our ecstatic joy at the first day of May Bumps 2023 going so well! We hope to come back tomorrow and do the same again.

M2 Having only assembled this crew with limited time before bumps, the M2 'pocket rockets' were hoping to put on a solid race to kick off their Mays campaign. With Fran as the cox and Daniel as the 3-seat on their bumps debuts, we showed some class off the start at station 8 and quickly reached our fastest split of the term. As we settled into rhythm, a storming Emma M3 boat were hot on our heels and the boys put in a gritty effort to hold them off until they eventually pipped us at First Post Corner. Overall, a performance to be proud of that leaves the crew with much excitement for the days ahead. We anticipate a flying start from the mighty Clare Hall M1 boat behind us tomorrow and so we'll focus on repeating a good start that will enable us to dig deep for even longer.

May Bumps 2023 Report: Day 2 W1 With a strong paddle up to station ten, we were ripping down our practice starts and had our race plan firmly in mind. If ever the phrase ‘bump or be bumped’ was valid, today was very much that day. Behind old friends (or foes) Churchill, we had Trinity Hall chasing after us and we knew them to be a monster of a boat. With most of their 2022 blades crew returning, their stroke was fresh from a blue boat win and had been on an impressive rampage this term.

There was however some pre-race equipment shenanigans on station, handled quickly and calmly by Kate. As we queued for our standing start at the Plough, our four seat noticed that one of her shoes had just worn through and ripped up the sole. Not wanting to disrupt any pre-race nerves, we gently mentioned it to our bank party. Kate was quick to order me out of the five seat, jumped in the boat herself, and expertly taped it down with duct tape. I am eager to add that ‘Filipe the Filippi’ (better known as Spirit of 84) is now spending a cosy night on trestles awaiting a replacement from the shoe fairy. But back to the race!

In the last fifteen seconds before the gun, our boat started drifting further and further against the chain until our bows started pulling off course. A stern ‘don’t let go, Mariam’ from the bank kept us alert, but lucky for us our cox utilised her secret Pilates power until the very last moment. We sped off the start, with refreshed calls to keep us set through the outflow and we were gaining seats on Churchill.

Unfortunately, as we passed under the motorway bridge, it had already become a different race. Trinity Hall who looked to have gone off 20 splits faster than anything we’d ever seen before, were already at their first whistle, and soon a second. Power tens and up-twos did little to delay the inevitable, and we were not long after bumped. With barely a minute gone, the race was only just heating up behind us and it was a mad dash to clear the river in time for oncoming crews.

Our bumps campaign this year is starting to feel like a topsy-turvy trip down memory lane: first Churchill bumping us on first post where we had last year, and today Hall in The Ditch where we bumped Girton previously as well. Proof that karma is real, and what goes up must unfortunately sometimes come down. Disappointment aside, Trinity Hall’s bump was so fast and so impressive that it would be un-sportswomanly of me to not congratulate them. It was an honour to be a part of that bump… even if we’d have preferred to not be on the receiving end.

M1 Fuelled by another pasta night - this time with the whole club - M1 were feeling chipper. As much as we pushed hard yesterday, the outcome was expected and we rowed up to marshalling with a renewed confidence we could put up more of a fight today. Despite a slight scare when our coxbox cut out on our paddle up to marshalling, we all knew the race plan (thankfully we fixed it in time for the race!).

Now racing from position 1 at the top of division 2 with a clear river and nobody to bump ahead of us, we prepared to go for what would likely be our toughest race so far. A returning foe, Caius M2, were chasing us. Having bumped us on our final day of Lents, we were determined to deny them the satisfaction a second time. Caius II and Tit Hall M1 had a close fight yesterday prior to Caius bumping up near the middle of the race. We knew they are a crew fast off the start, but we would have them over the longer course. Cannons fired, and with a brilliant push off from Kate, Simon and Al, we had a strong start. Unfortunately, Caius had an equally strong start gaining on us coming around first post corner.

I’m proud that despite the whistles and crowds we kept our cool and rhythm as a unit up until we were bumped, just turning around Grassy. Disappointing, but tomorrow is a new day! With news of a Catz M1 overbump in division 1, pushing Robinson M1 to the bottom - we will be gunning to hold on to our position with the target of returning to the top of division 2 on Saturday.

W2 Fresh off the high of yesterday’s bump, W2 paddled down to the start line at station 2. We were nervous for the race, but we knew we could do what we set out to. Today, we were chasing Darwin W2, previously bumped down a division by Clare W3, and we were ready to take them. With the first day jitters out of the way, we set off with confidence. The cox, Nell, steered us wonderfully around the corners, allowing us to gain precious ground on Darwin. Then, just after Grassy, we caught them! A clean bump, wellrowed. A calm paddle back down to marshalling allowed us to reflect on our race, and sharpen our technique for the next one as sandwich boat. Stationed all the way at the lock, feeling a little tired but still fresh, and enjoying the fact that we had nobody chasing us, we got ready for the next race. The start canon was considerably quieter, but we had a clean start - perhaps our best one yet - and although there were 5 bumps ahead of us, making a bump or overbump impossible, we still put in our all for a row over that we were all very proud of! We’re excited to row tomorrow: hopefully rowing over into being sandwich boat again, then chasing Jesus W3 to bring us one bump closer to blades.

M2 After being bumped on the first day by Emma’s M3, Christ’s M2 had to look behind them on the second day. There the impressive-looking Clare Hall M1 was waiting to move up another spot after overbumping LMBC M3 on the first day of bumps. The race began with an intense start, as we gained ground on Emma’s M3, and Clare Hall M1 encountered some initial difficulties with their boat alignment, which allowed us to create some distance between them. Nevertheless, once Clare Hall M1 corrected their course, they exhibited impressive speed and began chasing us down the river, closing the gap rapidly.

We put up a valiant defence, narrowly fending off the initial attack from Clare Hall M1 as they approached the first bend. In their attempt to bump, Clare Hall M1 veered dangerously close to the banks but quickly recovered. Despite our efforts to maintain our position, the heavily favoured Clare Hall M1 gradually gained ground and eventually bumped us just before grassy corner. The consistently good starts and the improvements over the first two days, give us the hope that we will be able to hold off Peterhouse M2 on the third day of bumps.

May Bumps 2023 Report: Day 3 W1 Today (we thought) would be our best chance for a row-over. With hot water seemingly everywhere around us, and laser-fast crews on every station, we planned for a full course row and ate accordingly the night before. After our merciless bump from Trinity Hall yesterday, we knew that it would take nothing short of a miracle to gain on them. With Catz now chasing us, it was our hope that old rivals First and Third would bump them to take them out of our hair. This was our best-case scenario, but also the only plausible scenario which wouldn’t involve us going further down the table. With squeaky-new shoes in the 4 seat, we broke a 1:31 off the start and kept a firm set through the out-flow. Unfortunately, it was all starting to feel like Groundhog Day as we came under the motorway bridge. Despite replicating our best results from training, it was no match for Catz, who were gaining at a steady pace. Our race plan had taken the chance into account, and we dug in for a power 10 followed by an immediate uptwo. Their first whistle soon came, followed by a second. We held them off as we went down the Ditch, but before the First Post Corner there was a significant overlap with the bow seat and we were forced to concede. Unbeknownst to Stern 4, we were headed straight into river carnage where Trinity Hall had already claimed their third victim of the week. With racing still ongoing, we clung to their blades and they to ours - Catz pulling in the opposite bank. There was an understandably deflated feeling in our boat, but once again there was little we could do on the day with chasers as fast as ours. Looking to tomorrow, the table is beginning to look unusually ordered and aligned - a criss-cross of straight lines rather than the usual zig-zags. All three crews who’ve bumped us, also bumped on all other days. That’s three consecutive crews on for blades tomorrow, interspersed by three crews on for the cutlery who shall not be named (starts with spades, rhymes with moons). At least we have neighbours close by in solidarity who may also be joining us at the dining table for a spoonful of dessert.

M1 M1 went into day 3 of bumps chasing Caius M2 and being chased by another tough match in Tit Hall M1. During push off from the boathouse, we witnessed the swan that had attacked W1 on Wednesday taking a swipe at the Tit Hall cox… was this a sign from nature that Tit Hall were in for a bad day? It had been another great start for us but alas, we were bumped two boat lengths further than we had been the previous day… progress at least. Tune in tomorrow where hopefully we might even make it around

Grassy corner! Despite it being a short race we felt pleased with our row. Being bumped by a quicker and equally deserving crew that had been rowing together since last year's bumps is nothing to be ashamed of.

Looking back over video footage of the race, one thing is clear - we need to rate up! We had been going off the start at a comfortable rate 44 where our starts were most consistent during our practices, and a rate we have the ability to hold for the entire course. However it seems other crews are getting extra strokes, which as a lightweight crew we cannot allow. Lessons learned! We up the rate tomorrow and see - it's our best shot at holding back the dreaded spoons. Tomorrow we will be chased down by Fitz M1, who we have faced a number of times during Lents - where they failed to bump us the three opportunities they had. Here’s hoping we can repeat this outcome tomorrow!

W2 On the second day of being sandwich boat, W2 prepared for a long day of racing. The first task: row over. Remembering our lovely row over yesterday, we prepared to keep Darwin off of us long enough for Sidney to catch them. It was a tough row, but finally we lost them, and shortly after they were bumped behind us. The brief marshalling period for our next division was nerve-wracking. This race was important. With wonderful cheering along the bank, we set off on our second race of the day, chasing Jesus W3. Despite giving it our all, we only managed to stay on station with the seemingly equallymatched crew, before a lucky corner sent them a little further ahead. Regardless, we made ourselves proud with a good row over and look forward to the last day of bumps tomorrow, where we will likely be sandwich boat again.

M2 Tough luck out there for the ever-gritty M2 crew today. Another great start from the boys meant we were able to hold off a fast approaching Peterhouse M2 crew onto First Post, where it was expected that we would run into a bump from the preceding boats. With Peterhouse securing a mini overlap around the corner, some nifty coxing from Fran meant we were able to evade the carnage from the bump in front of us, a manoeuvre that subsequently created over three lengths of separation. We gained lots of confidence from this as we continued to row on, only to be disappointed by a call that Peterhouse had been awarded a technical bump. A much improved performance as we continue to grow together as a crew, hoping to be safe from spoons on the last day. We anticipate another strong chaser in Selwyn M2 behind us but are hoping to finish our bumps campaign on a high note.

May Bumps 2023 Report: Day 4 W1 It was off to the final day of racing with a new goal - get to Grassy. We knew that it was our bowside’s dominion, and that if we could hold them off until then, we could pull away for some fun down The Reach. We were going to throw everything at the first 500m; after our start and fifteen, it was hard power through the settle and pushing on to freedom. The Christ’s bumps picnic was in full flow, and with the Master and his wife joining us for Boat Club Dinner, we wanted to put on a show. No hard task with our final chaser, Queens’, on for blades. Returners in our boat knew all about that day four hunger, and it was clear what we’d have to give to deny them. Deep breaths at the one minute cannon, we anchored in and buried our blades. It was windier than on previous days, adding some uncertainty and excitement to the countdown. Bang! Fast strokes quickly to a rate 42 off the start, we were building up the power across the outflow and under the motorway bridge. No whistles yet, an unfamiliar but welcome absence given the carnage of previous days. We were flying so quickly that when then first whistle came, I initially thought it was our first whistle on Catz. Perhaps others shared my confusion, and our settle did not settle as well as we were used to. We pushed on through The Ditch, with individual calls from the bank party - there’s nothing quite like a 5 and 6 seat power up call to set a boat ablaze.

Holding Queens’ at the first whistle, First and Third behind them were closing in, firing up our chaser even further. Pushing on down The Ditch, it was becoming clear that even the extra heat to our base pace would not be enough. The second whistle came and we passed the power threshold, where added force only seemed to upset the boat further. Some chaotic strokes later, three whistles came and we took the hardest, most desperate strokes of the year. Dear reader - we got spoons. Pulling into the bank, we quickly wedged among other victims, alongside the cheers of their demise. A tragic menagerie of boats, all before First Post Corner. On each day, we were hit with impressively fast crews and despite pushing our own limits, we weren’t able to hold any of them off. In a twist of bumps karma, special congratulations are due to every crew who bumped us this week - Churchill, Trinity Hall, St. Catherine’s and Queens’ - who impressively all got blades! We can take some joy in being a small part of their monumental moment, albeit at our own expense. In the spirit of Rudyard Kipling, my Dad said to me when I broke the news, “well in two years, you’ve managed the full set. They’ll be reminders that success and failure are imposters both the same”. I am certain that my blade and spoon have taught me both just as much as each other. As was shared last night at Boat Club Dinner, each sister and friend I have from our crew is worth so much more than any bump.

M1 For our final day of racing, M1 we’re chasing Tit Hall M1 and being chased by Fitz M1 - a foe we successfully held off last Lent bumps for three consecutive days. Given our luck the previous days we simply hoped we could make it around grassy and have the opportunity to put up a good fight.

Unfortunately for us, disaster struck minutes before the start canon. Our boat's bow speakers had cut out again, meaning that bow pair would have to race without hearing calls from our cox… not that we would be able to hear that well anyway with the usual towpath chaos and cheers of ‘Yeah Christ’s!’ by supporters on the final day.

As we had planned, today we went off at a higher rate (rate 46) which was surprisingly well set and clean. Despite this, Fitz we’re gaining on us, leading to two whistles by First Post Corner. A poor line

by Fitz and they dropped back to no whistles. With Corpus (who were chasing Fitz for blades) gaining on Fitz, they made a big push back onto us. We prayed that Corpus would seal the deal and bump Fitz before they bumped us. Alas, Fitz held onto us despite our power 10 and we were finally worn down and bumped halfway around Grassy, again two boat lengths further than we had been bumped the previous day.

The boys and I are proud of the work we’ve put in this term amidst exams, while it is a disappointing set of results, onwards and upwards for next year. Rowing is about pushing oneself, about community and most importantly having fun - regardless of whether you earn blades or spoons at the end of the day! Despite our spoons, M1 is in good spirits after a campaign that has really solidified us as a unit and given us some fond experiences we’ll never forget. Many of the crew are here for another year, and with some strong rising stars emerging from M2, we already have our eyes on next May Bumps 2024.

W2 On the last day of bumps, we were prepared to give whatever energy and zeal we had left. At the top of division 3 again, we lined up at station 1 on the start line for the most nerve-wracking race of the week.

Sidney W2 was chasing us again, like day 1, and they were determined to be sandwich boat to be on track to blades. Our practice start was perfect, but we knew we had to fight hard in the real race. In what would turn out to be our last race of the week, we fought hard and managed to keep them off of us until well-onto the Reach, where a crab slowed us too much, and we were bumped. Overall, the week has resulted in 2 bumps, 3 row-overs and one bumped. W2 are very proud of our campaign and hope to do even better next year!

M2 It was another difficult day for M2 with a rather quick bump from the powerful Selwyn M2 crew. We stuck to our tactics off the start but were beaten for pace before First Post yet again. Overall, with many returning rowers next year, there has been plenty to take away from this Mays campaign into next year.

We all enjoyed BCD and deeply appreciated all those who have supported us at the alumni picnic and from afar. Yeah Christ's!