Geograph - photograph every grid square

The Cambridge May races, or May Bumps, are a series of rowing races held over four days. As with some other things in Cambridge (e.g. the May Balls) they actually take place in June. Eligibility is open to the Boat Clubs of all 31 Cambridge Colleges, and a few associated local Boat Clubs such as those of the Addenbrooke’s Students and Anglia Ruskin University. Most Colleges enter more than one boat: there will be well over 100 boats in all, and the races are split into Divisions. Lower Divisions race before higher ones.

As the River Cam is neither wide enough nor straight enough for ‘side by side’ racing, the boats are lined up, one behind the other, with exactly one-and-a-half boat-lengths (about 27½ metres) of clear water between each. Start is signalled by a gun (there are also 4-minute and one-minute warning shots). All boats thus start at the same time. The objective is to catch up with and ‘bump’ the boat in front of you before that boat passes the finishing post (the course is approximately 2½ km long). The cox of the bumped boat will acknowledge, and both boats must pull in to the bank as quickly as possible so as not to obstruct the boats behind them.

The result is that the two crews will be placed in the opposite order on the next day, so the boat making the bump will move ‘up the river’. The ideal outcome for a crew is to bump on all four days; they are then said to ‘win their oars’. A crew which finishes a day at the head of its division must row again soon afterwards at the foot of the next higher division and try to progress up that division. They may be tired, but at least they can’t be bumped!

The towpath is on the west bank. If you watch from that side, you must take care not to obstruct the cyclists such as umpires and team coaches, who hurry along shouting exhortations and instructions to their crews. Better is to watch from the east (true right) bank, e.g. from the Plough Inn at Fen Ditton.

Created: Wed, 31 Jan 2024, Updated: Wed, 31 Jan 2024