Bumps on the river

[CliveG]

I have just returned home from watching my son Jonathan win his oars.
I am very proud of him. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

He was rowing in the Cambridge Town Bumps and his boat managed to get a bump on each of the 4 evenings.
That is how you win your oar.

This is hard to achieve.
The bumping races are held over a stretch of the River Cam down stream from Cambridge.
The course is about 2 miles long with some tight bends.
The boats all start in line astern with 1/2 a boat length between each boat.
ON the start signal the aim is to catch up with the boat ahead.
If you can get your bow level with the Cox in the boat ahead you have achieved a bump.
Mean while the boat behind you it trying to do the same to you.
If you achieve a bump pull to the side of the river and the next evening you start ahead of the boat you bumped.
The bumped boat also pulls to the side.
If you don't bump or get bumped, you have to row the whole course.

To watch those 8s take off from a standing start is something else.
I have a short video of a practice start.
Once I work out how to post it to YouTube I will put a link here.

 

[D3B]

Clive
I have heard about this "race" before but never witnessed it....
I think the usual thing has been to slag off the 8's practicing around cambridge

next event i may attend..... /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[Athene V30]

Clive

Well done to Jonathan. Did a bit of rowing in my Oxford days but had to give up when I did my back in. It is HARD work!

PS I was 'a fool on the hill' at the Poly, not a brain box /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif!

 

[beancounter]

Congrats to your lad Clive - it's quite an event (we've watched it a few times). Enjoy being the proud dad!

We were indulging in more leisurely river activities - punting up towards Grantchester on Saturday.

 

[flipper]

Hi Clive

My step son, Oli, was rowing in the bumps for Rob Roy. they were the second boat in the starting line up after Cantabs. They rowed through every night but managed to bump Cantabs on the last night. That's now under review as they had swapped a crew member /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif Still, it's quite a spectacle.

 

[Wunja]

How does the boat at the front score a bump?

 

[CliveG]

That boat can't in that race, but if it manages to "row over" (get to the finish without being bumped) it goes back to the start and rows at the back of the next division up and has the chanse to bump up into that devision.
It is then know as the sandwich boat.

Results for the 2008 event. shows this happening with Champs II from Dev 2 to 1

My son was rowing in Champ V in division 3

 

[bastonjock]

well done to jonathon,ive never heard of this type of rowing race before /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Yeah.... congrats to Jonathan..... must be all the winching practice that has built up his physique..... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif