Cambridge Rowing from Varsity to Intercollege

Cambridge Rowing From Varsity to Intercollege

Guy Goodman 7 August, 2019 (v1.1) The Origins of Rowing Races The Origins of Rowing Races - Reach back to Ancient Egyptian times (Wikipedia) The Origins of Rowing Races - Reach back to Ancient Egyptian times - Early 10th century between professional watermen on the Thames in London (also Wikipedia) Rowing at the Olympics Rowing at the Olympics Comes in 6 formats, each for Men and Women Rowing at the Olympics

Comes in 6 formats, each for Men and Women All rowed on 2,000 metre courses, 6 lanes wide Rowing at the Olympics

Comes in 6 formats, each for Men and Women - Single sculls Rowing at the Olympics

Comes in 6 formats, each for Men and Women - Single sculls - Double sculls Rowing at the Olympics

Comes in 6 formats, each for Men and Women - Single sculls - Double sculls - Quadruple sculls Rowing at the Olympics

Comes in 6 formats, each for Men and Women - Single sculls - Coxless pairs - Double sculls - Quadruple sculls Rowing at the Olympics

Comes in 6 formats, each for Men and Women - Single sculls - Coxless pairs - Double sculls - Coxless fours - Quadruple sculls Rowing at the Olympics

Comes in 6 formats, each for Men and Women - Single sculls - Coxless pairs - Double sculls - Coxless fours - Quadruple sculls - Coxed eights The Boat Race(s)

There are in fact 4 races each year The Boat Race(s)

There are in fact 4 races each year - Men’s “Blue” boats - Women’s “Blue” boats The Boat Race(s)

There are in fact 4 races each year - Men’s “Blue” boats - Women’s “Blue” boats - Mens’ reserve crews (Goldie/Isis) The Boat Race(s)

There are in fact 4 races each year - Men’s “Blue” boats - Women’s “Blue” boats - Mens’ reserve crews (Goldie/Isis) - Women’s reserve crews (Blondie/Osiris) The Boat Race(s) All four are rowed over the same 6.8 km course on the Thames, on the flood tide but upstream, starting one hour apart

Finish Start The Boat Race(s) All four are rowed over the same 6.8 km course on the Thames, on the flood tide but upstream, starting one hour apart Intercollege Rowing The Bumps Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

A form of rowing race in which a number of boats chase each other in single file, each crew attempting to catch and "bump" the boat in front without being caught by the boat behind Intercollege Rowing The Bumps A form of rowing race in which a number of boats chase each other in single file, each crew attempting to catch and "bump" the boat in front without being caught by the boat behind Particularly suitable where the stretch of water available is long but narrow, precluding side-by-side racing Intercollege Rowing The Bumps A form of rowing race in which a number of boats chase each other in single file, each crew attempting to catch and "bump" the boat in front without being caught by the boat behind Particularly suitable where the stretch of water available is long but narrow, precluding side-by-side racing Bumps racing gives a sharper feel of immediate competition than a head race, where boats are simply timed over a fixed course Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

Where are bump races held? Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

Where are bump races held? - Oxford and Cambridge Universities Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

Where are bump races held? - Oxford and Cambridge Universities - other rowing clubs in those towns Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

Where are bump races held?

- Oxford and Cambridge Universities - other rowing clubs in those towns - some high schools, upper years and coxed fours only Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

Where are bump races held?

- Oxford and Cambridge Universities - other rowing clubs in those towns - some high schools, upper years and coxed fours only - maybe other places?? Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

Bumps races are typically raced in a series over several days Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

Bumps races are typically raced in a series over several days

The starting order of each day's race is based on the previous day's results Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

Bumps races are typically raced in a series over several days

The starting order of each day's race is based on the previous day's results

The first day's starting order each year is determined by the results on the last day of the previous year Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

When a bump occurs, the boats exchange places in the start order the following day Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

When a bump occurs, the boats exchange places in the start order the following day . . . or the first day of the next year Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

When a bump occurs, the boats exchange places in the start order the following day

. . . or the first day of the next year

So, what is a “bump”? Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

So, what is a “bump”? When a chasing boat overlaps its quarry and physically bumps it Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

So, what is a “bump”?

When a chasing boat overlaps its quarry and physically bumps it

Or, when a bump is inevitable, the cox of the quarry can concede to reduce risk Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

When a bump occurs, both bumper and bumpee pull over to the side to get out of the way of following boats Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

When a bump occurs, both bumper and bumpee pull over to the side to get out of the way of following boats This leaves the way for the boat behind them to chase after the boat ahead . . . Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

When a bump occurs, both bumper and bumpee pull over to the side to get out of the way of following boats This leaves the way for the boat behind them to chase after the boat ahead ...... and possibly move up 3 places for the next day with an “overbump” Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

Video – perfect bump

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=121&v=aoXpa0ZVcUs (rewind to start at 0:00/2:01) Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

If a boat reaches the finish line without making a bump and avoids being bumped, it is said to have “rowed over” and starts the next day in the same position as it started today Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

This is what can happen when a lot of bumps take place in the same space Some people call it carnage

4 Crashes that caused a re-row. Collisions from boat 4 onwards (boat 3 had bumped boat 2 and boat 1 had rowed over). All crews after Boat 4 that hadn't bumped already re-rowed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5qTrJ-vDv0 Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

Sandwich boats Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

Sandwich boats Most bump races have far too many boats for all to fit in to just one race . . . Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

Sandwich boats Most bump races have far too many boats for all to fit in to just one race ...... so they are divided into divisions of between 13 and 18 boats, typically 17 Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

Sandwich boats Most bump races have far too many boats for all to fit in to just one race ...... so they are divided into divisions of between 13 and 18 boats, typically 17 This leaves the highest boat in each division without a quarry to chase (and the lowest with no chaser) Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

Sandwich boats

The solution is for each of these “sandwich” boats to go back to the start and do it all again as the lowest boat in the next higher division Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

Sandwich boats The solution is for each of these “sandwich” boats to go back to the start and do it all again as the lowest boat in the next higher division If they make a bump, they stay in the higher division the next day and the bumpee drops down to top of the lower division Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

That was all generic to bumps races so now to Cambridge Bump races in particular Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

That was all generic to bumps races so now to Cambridge Bump races in particular The first bumps in Cambridge took place in Lent 1827 Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

That was all generic to bumps races so now to Cambridge Bump races in particular The first bumps in Cambridge took place in Lent 1827 They now take place twice each year - the Lents, held in early March; and - the Mays, held in mid-June !!!!!!!! Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

I’ll concentrate only on the Mays but they and the Lents are very similar to each other, except for the numbers and weather Intercollege Rowing The Bumps - In Cambridge, this all takes place on the River Cam which, in places, is barely wide enough for 2 boats

Start

Bottom Finish Top Finish College boathouses Intercollege Rowing The Bumps - In Cambridge, this all takes place on the River Cam which, in places, is barely wide enough for 2 boats - There are 31 Colleges, 28 mixed, 3 for women only and none for men only!! Intercollege Rowing

- In Cambridge, this all takes place on the River Cam which, in places, is barely wide enough for 2 boats - There are 31 Colleges, 28 mixed, 3 for women only and none for men only!! - Potentially 59 boats if each has just 1 boat - In fact, most Colleges have more than 1 and several go up to 6, 7 or even 8 men’s boats - So the boats are divided into 6 Divisions of 17 boats for the men and 4 Divisions for the women - Total (max) 170 boats and coxes, 1360 rowers, each rowing on 4 consecutive days (and each day eight crews row twice!!) Intercollege Rowing The Bumps - The start position depends on what happened the previous day or (for the first day) the previous year Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

- The start position depends on what happened the previous day or (for the first day) the previous year - The slowest Division goes first Intercollege Rowing The Bumps

- The start position depends on what happened the previous day (or, for the first day), the previous year - The slowest Division goes first 1½ lengths (about 90 ft) between boats at the start Start positions marked on river bank by chains about 50 yd apart, which are held by the cox until the start gun Intercollege Rowing The Bumps The start Before the Division starts racing, there are warning signals (cannons) with four and one minute(s) to go. Intercollege Rowing The Bumps The start

Before the Division starts racing, there are warning signals (cannons) with four and one minute to go. Crews are pushed off the bank with about 20 seconds to go, whilst still holding the chains. The chains are dropped when the starting cannon is fired, and all crews start racing at the same moment. Intercollege Rowing The Bumps The start

Video – the start

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stbpItNH-E0 (start at 0:29/1:43) Intercollege Rowing The Bumps Getting on Intercollege Rowing The Bumps Getting on Max 170 boats Intercollege Rowing The Bumps Getting on Max 170 boats What happens if more enter? Intercollege Rowing The Bumps Getting on Max 170 boats What happens if more enter? The Getting-on race Intercollege Rowing The Bumps Getting on Max 170 boats. What happens if more enter? The Getting-on race Crews are removed from the lowest division such that there is one place available in the Bumps for every two crews competing Intercollege Rowing The Bumps Getting on Max 170 boats. What happens if more enter? The Getting-on race Crews are removed from the lowest division such that there is one place available in the Bumps for every two crews competing Crews are timed from the upstream side of the A14 Road Bridge to the upstream side of the Railway Bridge and the fastest will qualify for places. Intercollege Rowing The Bumps Getting One’s Oar (or Blade) Intercollege Rowing The Bumps Getting One’s Oar (or Blade)

If a crew “bumps up” on all 4 consecutive days, they are awarded their oars Intercollege Rowing The Bumps Getting One’s Oar (or Blade)

If a crew “bumps up” on all 4 consecutive days, they are awarded their oars Same thing if they “bump up” 4 places, including an overbump and at least one regular bump, without “bumping down And the next slide shows “an oar” Dick Peacocke’s Oar Christ’s VI, May 1966 Intercollege Rowing The Bumps My personal experiences Intercollege Rowing The Bumps My personal experiences How I got involved Intercollege Rowing The Bumps My personal experiences How I got involved Equipment – rowing shorts/rubbing alcohol Intercollege Rowing The Bumps My personal memories How I got involved Equipment – rowing shorts/rubbing alcohol Initial training – tubs/blades with holes Intercollege Rowing The Bumps My personal memories How I got involved Equipment – rowing shorts/rubbing alcohol Initial training – tubs/blades with holes Joe Bates Intercollege Rowing The Bumps My personal memories How I got involved Equipment – rowing shorts/rubbing alcohol Initial training – tubs/blades with holes Joe Bates Start of first race Intercollege Rowing The Bumps My personal memories How I got involved Equipment – rowing shorts/rubbing alcohol Initial training – tubs/blades with holes Joe Bates Start of first race So close but so far Intercollege Rowing The Bumps My personal memories How I got involved Equipment – rowing shorts/rubbing alcohol Initial training – tubs/blades with holes Joe Bates Start of first race So close but so far Rowed over the other 3 days Intercollege Rowing The Bumps My personal memories How I got involved Equipment – rowing shorts/rubbing alcohol Initial training – tubs/blades with holes Joe Bates Start of first race So close but so far Rowed over the other 3 days Never rowed a competitive stroke again !!!