Day 3 - May Bumps 2006
Today we were to be chasing a Downing boat who have not been doing too well, and chased by a Jesus boat who had bumped every day, and were on for blades. Well we were to DENY them, we thought, and go for the bump. The row down was in more sweltering heat, and I even started feeling a bit light headed as we marshalled in the sun. I kept drinking my water, and we rowed on down to the start, psyching out our opposition by trying to maintain a balanced stroke. A member of Peterhouse, and the blue boat, accompanied our coaches and the former Governor of Hong Kong and his wife, as the cannon went.
We had our best start so far: calm and effective. After only 4o seconds we got our first whistle. Second and continuous hoots soon came, meaning we were closing fast on Downing. Jesus were nowhere to be seen behind us, we having sped away from them. As the hoots became louder, the water became more rough, meaning we were very close- perhaps a canvas- off Downing. Yet one cannot be tempted to look round in order to see if one has made the bump. The loss of concentration in that movement could result in a crab, and a loss of the momentum that got you to that positive position in the first place. Cox called a final push, the water became tumultuous, and then a couple of our (rather scarily accident prone) rowers came off their seat. Yet this happened as we had bumped the crew already. WE BUMPED. A scary way to do it though. We easied under the railway bridge, were showered with leaves to signify the bump, and went off back home in the sun, being cheered by the boat club sponsor’s hospitality tent.
Back at the boat house, our coach said we had huge momentum on our started, and came steaming into Downing, causing them to panic as we came to bump them, and crash into the bank. He was still a bit anxious that we had our clumsiness within the boat as we won the bump. I always said we were not pretty. Again, our speed was enough to overcome these problems, and plough us mercilessly into the opposition.
We ran down to the bottom of the river again, in order to see the hospitality tent. Here we met The Sabra and her Scottish Heeb friend, who had been watching in the plough. After a few pleasantries, I went on my way to the hospitality tent, for some pimms and crisps, rejoicing.