Author: Henrike Schulte To Buehne

It was bright and breezy on the Cam as a boatful of excited Medwards ladies rowed up to marshall in Owen for the first day of Lent Bumps 2014. Four of the crew and the cox had never been in a Bumps race before and this was the day we had been anticipating all term.

We had a good practice start just after the Plough and the boat felt powerful and balanced. As the cannons counted us down we got into our racing mindset, and by the time the final one blasted we were as prepared as we were ever going to be. We had a fast, smooth first few strokes, but unfortunately it did not last long. As we completed the winds in our three draws, five winds, power ten sequence, the bows realised they were headed into the bank and the rest of the boat soon followed. As we attempted to disentangle ourselves from the reeds, a sluggish Clare boat bumped us and our collective hearts sank.

The true test of a woman is how she holds herself post-defeat. We had indeed been defeated, but the ladies of MECBC were not ones to be ashamed. We cheered Clare’s good fortune with the loudest “hip hip hoorays” the Cam has ever heard and rowed home with straight backs and vengeance in our hearts. Tomorrow, we would row again. And when we did, we would row WELL HARD.

Olwen Wilson, 7

It was the first day of the first Bumps of my life. The only 3rd boat in the division, having beaten several 2nd boats, we felt pretty awesome. With nothing behind us to be bumped by and the bright sunshine in our eyes during the row-up, it seemed that nothing could stop us from bumping.

The four minutes, then one minute cannons went off; the butterflies in our stomachs were released. Sitting at bow, I felt the additional anxiety of what would happen if I missed an order and crashed our boat. The start: Our slightly make-shift crew set out beautifully, we closed in ‘half a length on Darwin W2’ that was in front of us. The wind pushing against us, our legs and wills were pushing harder, much harder.

What seemed like just a couple seconds into the race, though, some carnage seemed to be occurring in stern pair. Why aren’t the ores moving? Two crabs and a seat that came off. But we got it back together, powered on – and then held up. Darwin W2 stopped in the middle of the river – but then they started to move up again. Our second start and power ten was, however, definitively quashed by a signal from the umpire. We were awarded a technical row-over.

One of the shortest races, although the first day of Lent Bumps did not exactly hold up to W3’s hopes, it was a great preparation for what’s to come – the next three days of Bumps.

Simona Sulikova, Bow

After a confusing row up involving marshalling in the wrong place, swapping boats with W2 and having to jog past all the mens’ boats, W3 finally arrived at the lock ready to push ourselves as hard as we could in our first race of term and use the techniques learnt in the weeks of erging when the river was red- or yellow-flagged.

With Coach Thea’s 5 important rules for the race firmly in our minds, we spun and prepared to pick up the pace over a few strokes and start racing. The wind had picked up over the course of the day and, after a strong start, the wind hit us at the top of the reach and it felt like we were rowing into a brick wall. We weren’t going to let that stop us though! Cox Laura called for a “push for ten” to get us moving again, which helped us power through the wind and find a sustainable rate, allowing us to concentrate on looking up and driving through the legs.

I think all our outings, during which we practised being intimidating, keeping in time and focusing on improving technique, paid off as the race felt like it went well. It wasn’t until later in the evening that we realised quite how well it had gone though, we had qualified for Lent Bumps! As the only W3 in the university to do so we are excited for this opportunity and keen to keep up the intimidation/timing/technique focus and chase down the crews in front of us.

Let’s get bumping!

Laura King (W3)

Overly enthusiastic about the sunny weather we got our boat out, insufficient kit on and proceeded to row up. During our approach to the start we were faced with two dilemmas. One was the weather; despite the sun being out, the wind was fierce. The second was “what will Jesus do?” as our cox, Nadia, so elegantly put it. The wind was attempting to make marshalling more haphazard than necessary, but fortunately we had six bank partiers there to challenge mother nature, yell at our crew and suggest Jesus’s next move.

Rolling up to the start, it took us a few moments to fall into a rhythm. Despite having rowed together only once before (that same morning) we eased into a comfortable rhythm, rate 29, and we could feel the boat slide over the water efficiently as the team moved as one. As soon as we turned onto the reach the wind hit us. The water was choppy. However, we didn’t panic. We unleashed our Haribo power, sat up against the wind and kept the boat sat. We kept calm and rowed on – and secured our spot in the second division. Cannons, chains & whistles… see you next week.

Ginny Levrini (W2)

On this very breezy Saturday morning, W1 arrived at the boathouse determined to show they had earned their seat in this newly formed crew by the sweat of their brow, and could flex their muscles!

After a quick warm-up, we got down to the flooded bank to take Octopussy out, quickly boated and pushed out. Chesterton Footbridge’s traffic lights were soon upon us, and with them, the usual mess, made even crazier by the horrendously fast-flowing waters of the Cam. After marshalling for a bit at the P&E, we were off again. Ying was now cycling alongside, filming (as always) and ensuring we stayed focused on power and technique. Two good practise starts later, we reached the Motorway Bridge, starting line of this soon to start race.

Under Christina’s instructions, we rowed our way through a very chaotic lock, where boats were all over the place, trying to spin and marshall. We finally parked ourselves, giving Ying yet another occasion to take very flattering pictures of the crew… As the minutes went by, we all got into a very focused mindset; we knew from the row up the race was going to be long and difficult.

Before long, we were off. As we started racing, the gusty wind, and insane stream, combined with a reluctant cox box, displaying a taunting rate 0, made it hard to tell whether the boat was rating as planned. However, as Christina called for the first power ten on the legs, we could feel the boat moving faster, in slighlty more sheltered conditions, and were keeping up with Jesus W1. After an intense big Grassy Corner for bow side, with Christina’s calls for power, and Ying encouragments, the crew went for a decent push past the Plough. Getting around Ditton corner, one for stroke side, marked the heaviest moment of the race, as we were entering a even more windy reach. Back into a straight stretch of river, we all knew the race was coming to its end, and lifted the boat towards the Railway Bridge. With a final call to empty the tanks from Christina, echoed by some raging sounds coming from the middle of the boat, we sprinted our way to the finish line. The whistle was blown, we winded it down. With a time of 12:10:17 minutes, we placed joint fourth with Jesus, behind FaT, Emmanuel, and Clare, which is a rather encouraging result showing our potential as a crew.

On the technical row back, Christina reminded us of Reana’s amazing race baking awaiting us at the boathouse… What better way to motivate a bunch of tired rowers!

Laurane (W1)

Rowing in December is an invigorating challenge for some and absolute insanity for others. ‘Cold’ is a description most would agree on however, and the morning of December the 6th was no exception. Yet the boaties of the Cam are hardy folk, and so when at 11.20 W2 arrived at the boathouse we were greeted to the sight of a river full of crews all shivering slightly in their coordinated lycra, and all with the same look of gritty determination in their eyes.

It could only mean one thing: Fairbairn’s.

With our boathouse position for once being advantageous, we took our time with the warm-up and got Owen out in a leisurely fashion. A nearby Robinson boat provoked some discussion as we settled into our seats- gold tinsel had been wrapped around each rigger, with the cox dressed as Santa. While some appreciated the effort as ‘cute’, others deemed the frivolity a folly: ‘Fairbairn’s is no joke’.
It was soon time to leave the shelter of the boathouse behind and push out ourselves. By this point, we had a full complement of coaches (2- Alex and John, the latter of the two having just raced the course himself) and a respectable bank party. With a wave from the college President and a deep intake of breath as we removed the last of our fleeces, we were off.
Jesus boathouse was seemingly suddenly upon us and the race had begun. We started off strongly and settled into our race pace. It was after the first few minutes that the realisation dawned upon me and I suddenly realised exactly how long five kilometres was- namely: really really long. The cold wasn’t helping- soon the muscles in my lower arms were protesting loudly and numbness was spreading from my fingertips. Visions of amputated fingers due to frostbite crossed my mind…what an infallible excuse for not handing in an essay!
But I deemed it was too high a price for the loss of limbs and so resolved to finish the race as quickly as possible. I’m sure everyone in the boat felt similarly. At points my mind started to wander, filling up with images of warmth and comfort- duvets, mugs of hot chocolate, volcanoes… At other points, parts of my brain were just screaming ‘WHY?’, while the parts controlling my muscle movement carried on regardless. However, cox Nadia’s calls kept us focussed and kept my internal existential inner monologues at a minimum. Timely input from our bank party also ensured that we kept up our power but didn’t forsake our technique. The sight of Ying’s infamous video camera forced us all to sit up a little straighter.
We knew we were being chased distantly by Corpus, and so were anxious when on the Reach a similarly dressed crew appeared to be gaining upon us. If anything, this stiffened our resolve (Mollie had made it very clear that we were NOT getting overtaken) and we kept pushing hard against the footplates. With some excellent corners from Nadia we were through the stretch of river I know only as ‘the wiggly bit’, with an excellent burst in front of the Plough.
Then Nadia uttered the words we had been waiting all race to hear…’I can see the finish!’. I now fully realise that on this straight stretch of river, the eye can see a pretty long way. We rallied valiantly and prepared to empty the tank (not that there was much left at all in my tank at this point). Digging hard, and with the mystery crew in front still bearing down upon us we sailed through the finish line, which thankfully wasn’t a mirage (in my delirious state mid-race I had wondered if this was a very cruel joke and we were actually going to have to row forever and ever).
Calls to wind it down were music to our crew’s ears as the identity of our mysterious chasers was revealed: a Fitz alumni boat! Worthy opponents indeed. We paddled down and settled next to our W1, with Octopussy and Owen slotting sweetly together like sibling boats. With some deft acrobatics, Mollie was able to manoeuvre herself out of the boat (having to run off to be a Varsity rep) and Pauline joined the crew for the row home. After replenishing our energy stores with copious amounts of Haribo, we set off back to the boathouse.
All in all, an exhausting yet rewarding experience- and one that affirmed for me what rowing in December (and year round) is all about- certainly the cold (which I think I’ve mentioned once or twice in the above paragraphs) but also overcoming the cold and working as a crew in the face of muscle cramp and even frostbite (cold fingers for the less melodramatic) to row across the finish line. A heart-warming and frostbite-dispelling feeling indeed. Brrrring on next year I say.

Nina Jones, W2

Michaelmas is a hectic term on the Cam. Seniors and novices of MECBC fight for river space in the attempt to test their stamina in longer pieces, to perform in the landmarks that are Winter and Autumn Head, and to push towards the ultimate goal of winning Fairbairns.
Unlike on novice race day, there was little wind to hinder our efforts – a good sign for all involved. We focused our thoughts on the race ahead and Chloe (our cox for the day) coxed us through our short row up to Jesus Lock, where we spun and pulled in just past the Fort. Coach Mark was not the only one to offer a motivational speech; for the first time in recent MECBC history, W1 were greeted by the President of our College, Dame Barbara Stocking, who kindly volunteered to join our bank party for the first part of the race.
Chasing Jesus Women’s VIII, our start sequence of seven drives and a power ten took us thundering past their boat house. Our start was hard and fast and before we knew it Chloe called for a push off Chesterton footbridge to bring us closer to the P&E.
After the railway bridge, the crew were moving together but it was becoming apparent that we were all a little tired. With so much of the race still left, we needed a pick up to refocus our attention. A ‘push for Georgie’, who was supporting us from the Plough, made us give another surge of power.
On our way to the motorway bridge shouts from the bank informed us that we were making ground on Jesus but the length of the race was certainly taking its toll. Chloe called for a string of power tens and we gave everything we had left to the finish line.
Clocked at 17:32.3 mins, we were placed joint third with Queen’s behind FaT and Downing. Unfortunately, this was not quite the result we had been looking for, but one to be proud of nevertheless. The row back to the boathouse allowed us to reflect on our experiences as a crew and get excited about Fairbairn’s dinner!
Finally, no race report would be complete without a shout out to ‘New Hall Men’s’ IV’, who were sporting some surprisingly stretchy MECBC lycra and coming second out of all Men’s invitational IVs with a time of 12:51.2 mins.

Rowanne Willet, W1

We arrived at the boat house in good time to have some pre-race banter, moan about the cold weather and finally get the boat out. We were quite far down in the division so got to the Lock in plenty of time to get out of the boat, stretch and devour two big bags of sugar-loaded sweets while subtly sizing up the competition. I have never discussed kit and technique in as much frantic detail as I did before Winter Head.
After the tense waiting, it was time to get back in the boat and the familiar, inevitable sense of adrenaline kicked in as the marshals tried to hectically organise the myriad of boats out on the river. Then before I knew it, we had started racing. Our cox asked us to individually put the power down for the rest of the crew and the rate shot up. We managed to have a surprisingly balanced and relaxed race; for the first time, I did not feel like I might die when we were finally asked us to wind it down.
If anything stood out, it was Reana’s heavenly race baking, which I completely forgot about until we got back to the boat house and rediscovered it patiently and lovingly waiting for us.
I’m probably going to regret this, but for the next race, I hope we are able to push the rate even higher and emerge slightly more exhausted than we did this time around. After all, we are supposed to be well hard.

Ana Diac