Members of KCL boat club are looking forward to continuing their run of success at the United Hospitals (UH) Bumps, which are raced on 28^th & 29^th May on the Thames at Kew.

The Bumps, which have been raced since 1953, are traditionally contested between the 5 London medical schools and the Royal Veterinary College. In more recent years however, invitational crews from non-medic colleges also race. There are 8 divisions: men’s and women’s first, second and third eights for current students, and respective alumni crews. King’s, who still race as GKT currently hold the headship (i.e., are winning) in 7 of the 8 categories, and are looking to repeat this success. The men’s squad have held the head of the bumps since 2006, when they ended 8 years of dominance from Imperial Medics. The women’s squad have held the headship for 5 of the last 6 years. KCL alumni, the formidable ‘Juniper’ crew have also dominated their division racing for several years.

The Bumps are not your usual, regatta type race. Rather than crews all starting from the same point and aiming to cross the finish line first, crews are spaced out along the river at equal distances. On the starting horn, the aim is to row off as fast as possible in order to catch up with (and physically bump) the boat in front, without being caught up by the boat behind. Lucky crews will ‘bump up’ early on in the race, sparing themselves the gruelling race to the finish line that awaits if they are neither caught by, nor catch another crew.  Crews who fail to bump early on in the race have to dig deep and fight their way down the rest of the course. For the crews at the head of the race, there is no crew in front to catch, and the only option is the long slog to the finish line without being caught. To add an extra dimension to the racing, the event is staged over 3 separate races in each category, and the only results that count are the results of the final race. In 2010, GKT men’s 1^st VIII were bumped by St Georges crew in the second race, and had to fight to win back first place in the final race of the event. This is what it looks like to get that place back:

Bumps racing is unusual in the rowing world, and relatively few places still hold bumps races; the UH bumps are the only ones held on the tidal Thames, and only Oxford, Cambridge, and Eton College have bumps races elsewhere in the UK. Because of the unusual nature of the racing, close finishes and clashes are common, making it one of the most exciting forms of racing to watch. The course used for the UH bumps stretches along the Thames next to Kew Gardens, finishing just before Chiswick Bridge by the University of London Boat House. Any cheers or support from Kew Bridge are welcome!

Are you a rower? Rowed at school or college but gotten out of practice? KCL Boat Club is always on the lookout for fresh talent, and in particular is looking for people to race the Bumps with us. If you’ve rowed in the past but let it drop off, why not join us for a weekends racing in May?

Any rowers who are interested in rowing the Bumps should contact edward [dot] griffiths [at] kcl [dot] ac [dot] uk. More information can be found at www.uhboatclub.co.uk