After 5 races, including 3 row overs across the full course as sandwich boat, W1 were grateful the glaring sun had retreated behind clouds for the final day of Bumps. The previous days had been as exhilarating as they were tiring, but today we set ourselves a simple goal that dispelled all weariness: level up. If we raced like we knew we could, station 17 in the Women’s First Division would be ours.
We pushed out for our first row atop of the second division, followed by college President, Dame Barbara, who had bank partied both W3 and W2 already. We executed a crisp and powerful start so that Kings W1 were not able to gain a whistle on us like the day before. After Grassy we watched as Kings fell to an exceptionally strong Jesus W2 crew, leaving seemingly endless clear water behind us. As we rounded Ditton, we were confident enough to take the rate down a few pips to conserve energy, and we hit a calm but assertive stride. Then Mark alerted us that the only other racing crew on the course was Downing W2, the sandwich boat at the other end of the division. Everyone else had bumped out! We wound it down to a firm paddle, and exchanged pleasantries with the crews marshalled for the M2 Division as we rowed down to top finish, Downing W2 still nowhere in sight. Has there ever been a more casually rowed Bumps race? Maybe only Ying knows. Either way, this row over was definitely my favourite of the week.
Phase 1 complete. We span to reclaim our now habitual sandwich boat marshalling spot and refuel on flapjacks and sweets. We also discovered the full story of W2’s almost-bump on Trinity Hall W2, giving us even more impetus to bump their W1. On the row up, driven on by the crowds, we had one of our most powerful and fastest starts in front of the plough. As we pulled in at the last station, dangerously close to the lock, it dawned on us that for at least two thirds of the crew this would be our last ever Bumps race, and last ever outing as a crew. Another reason to push hard.
Our final start of Bumps wasn’t the tidiest we’ve ever been, but as a crew we were more single-minded than ever. We closed down on Trinity Hall and caught them after the railway bridge. The 17th spot in W1 was ours. Phase 2 complete. Level up.
The most memorable moment was the row home, knowing that the club had finally finished in the W1 division for the first time since 2005, knowing all our hard work had paid off and writing the latest chapter in the club’s history. As we rowed past the Plough, W2, W3, friends, family and it seemed the whole of Cambridge sent up a wall of noise as if we were rowing through a stadium. I may never hear that sound again, but I am going to bet that next year’s W1 will.
Holly Smith