1st & 3rd Trinity II about to bump Caius II to go top of the 2nd division on day 2 of the 2005 May Bumps.

The May Bumps (also May Races, Mays) are a set of rowing races, held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge, England. They began in 1887 after separating from the Lent Bumps, the equivalent bumping races held at the end of February or start of March. Prior to the separation there had been a single set of annual bumps dating from its inception in 1827.[1] The races are open to all college boat clubs from the University of Cambridge, the University Medical and Veterinary Schools and the Anglia Ruskin Boat Club. The May Bumps takes place over four days (Wednesday to Saturday) in mid-June and is run as a bumps race.

Structure of the May Bumps

Downing II getting bumped by Fitzwilliam during the May Bumps 2006.

The races are run in divisions, each containing 17 crews. The number of crews in each bottom division varies yearly depending on new entrants.[2] Each crew contains eight rowers and one coxswain. A total of 154 crews took part in 2014, totalling around 1390 participants. There are currently six divisions for men's crews (referred to as M1, M2...M6) and four divisions for women's crews (similarly W1–W4). The divisions represent a total race order with Division 1 at the top. The ultimate aim is to try and finish Head of the River (also said as gaining the 'Headship'), i.e. 1st position in division 1.

At the start, signalled by a cannon, each crew is separated by a distance of about 1+12 boat lengths (approximately 30 m or 90 ft). Once the race has begun, a crew must attempt to catch up with the crew ahead of it and bump (physically touch or overtake) it before the crew behind does the same to them. A crew which bumps or is bumped must pull to the side of the river to allow all the other crews to continue racing. If a crew is able to catch and bump the boat which started three places in front of it, after the two in front have already bumped out, the crew is said to have over-bumped. A crew which neither bumps a crew ahead nor is bumped by a crew behind before crossing the finishing post is said to have rowed over.

After the race, any crew which bumps or over-bumps swaps places with the crew that it has bumped for the following day's racing. A crew which rows over stays in the same position. Crews finishing at the top of a division also start at the bottom of the next division, as the sandwich boat, in an attempt to try to move up into the next division. The process is repeated over four days, allowing crews to move up or down several places in the overall order of boats. The finishing order of one year's May Bumps are then used as the starting order of the following year's races.

Crews finishing Head of the River

Men's May Bumps (1887–2023)

1887Trinity Hall1888Trinity Hall18893rd Trinity1890Trinity Hall1891Trinity Hall1892Trinity Hall
18933rd Trinity1894Trinity Hall1895Trinity Hall1896Trinity Hall18973rd Trinity18981st Trinity
18991st Trinity19001st Trinity19013rd Trinity19023rd Trinity19033rd Trinity19043rd Trinity
19053rd Trinity19063rd Trinity1907Trinity Hall1908Trinity Hall1909Jesus1910Jesus
19111st Trinity1912Jesus1913Jesus1914Jesus19193rd Trinity1920Jesus
1921Jesus1922Jesus1923Pembroke1924Jesus1925Jesus1926Lady Margaret
1927Jesus19281st Trinity19293rd Trinity1930Jesus1931Pembroke1932Pembroke
1933Pembroke1934Pembroke1935Jesus1936Jesus1937Jesus1938Jesus
1939Jesus1941Clare1942Clare1943Clare1944Clare19451st & 3rd Trinity
1946Trinity Hall1947Jesus1948Jesus1949Clare1950Lady Margaret1951Lady Margaret
1952Lady Margaret1953Lady Margaret1954Lady Margaret1955Jesus1956Jesus1957Jesus
1958Jesus1959Lady Margaret1960Lady Margaret1961Lady Margaret1962Queens'1963Queens'
19641st & 3rd Trinity19651st & 3rd Trinity19661st & 3rd Trinity19671st & 3rd Trinity1968Queens'1969Fitzwilliam
1970Fitzwilliam1971Fitzwilliam1972Jesus19731st & 3rd Trinity1974Lady Margaret1975Lady Margaret
1976Pembroke1977Pembroke1978Pembroke1979Lady Margaret1980Lady Margaret1981Lady Margaret
1982Downing1983Lady Margaret1984Downing1985Pembroke1986Pembroke1987Caius
1988Lady Margaret1989Lady Margaret1990Downing1991Downing1992Trinity Hall1993Trinity Hall
1994Trinity Hall1995Trinity Hall1996Downing1997Downing1998Caius1999Caius
2000Caius2001Emmanuel2002Caius2003Caius2004Caius2005Caius
2006Caius2007Caius20081st & 3rd Trinity20091st & 3rd Trinity20101st & 3rd Trinity2011Caius
2012Caius2013Caius2014Caius2015Caius2016Lady Margaret2017Lady Margaret
2018Lady Margaret2019Caius2020-2021-2022Caius2023Caius

May Bumps were cancelled between 1915 and 1918, and in 1940 due to war,[1] and in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3][4] Prior to 1946 1st & 3rd Trinity were two separate rowing clubs: 1st Trinity and 3rd Trinity, hence both separate and combined titles.[5]

Women's May Bumps (1974–2023)

1974Clare1975Newnham1976Newnham1977New Hall1978Churchill1979Clare
1980Clare1981New Hall1982Trinity Hall1983Trinity Hall1984New Hall1985Churchill
1986Churchill1987Churchill1988Jesus1989Churchill1990Churchill1991Lady Margaret
1992Lady Margaret1993Jesus1994Jesus1995Emmanuel1996Emmanuel1997Pembroke
1998Pembroke1999Emmanuel2000Caius2001Caius2002Caius2003Newnham
2004Emmanuel2005Jesus2006Pembroke2007Jesus2008Pembroke2009Pembroke
2010Pembroke2011Downing2012Downing2013Clare2014Downing2015Downing
2016Downing2017Jesus2018Jesus2019Newnham2020-2021-
2022Newnham2023Jesus

The Women's May Bumps were rowed in coxed fours between 1974 and 1989, changing to coxed eights from 1990 onwards. A new start order was used for the women's 1990 races.[1] May Bumps were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3][4]

Table of winning boats (1887–2023)

Sixteen boats have been head of the river.

Blade Boat Head of the River: Men Head of the River: Women Head of the River: Total Winning Years: Men Winning Years: Women
Jesus College Boat Club Jesus
23
8
31
1909, 1910, 1912–14, 1920–22, 1924–25, 1927, 1930, 1935–39, 1947–48, 1955–58, 1972 1988, 1993–94, 2005, 2007, 2017–2018, 2023
Trinity (Combined)
25
-
25
1889, 1893, 1897–1906, 1911, 1919, 1928–29, 1945, 1964–67, 1973, 2008–10 -
Lady Margaret Boat Club Lady Margaret
20
2
22
1926, 1950–54, 1959–61, 1974–75, 1979–81, 1983, 1988–89, 2016–18 1991–92
Caius Boat Club Caius
18
3
21
1987, 1998–2000, 2002–07, 2011–15, 2019, 2022-23 2000–02
Trinity Hall Boat Club Trinity Hall
15
2
17
1887–88, 1890–92, 1894–96, 1907–08, 1946, 1992–95 1982–83
Pembroke College Boat Club (Cambridge) Pembroke
10
6
16
1923, 1931–34, 1976–78, 1985–86 1997–98, 2006, 2008–10
3rd Trinity
11
n/a
11
1889, 1893, 1901–06, 1929 n/a
Downing College Boat Club Downing
6
5
11
1982, 1984, 1990–91, 1996–97 2011–12, 2014–16
First and Third Trinity Boat Club 1st & 3rd Trinity
9
-
9
1945, 1964–67, 1973, 2008–10
-
Clare Boat Club Clare
5
4
9
1941–44, 1949 1974, 1979–1980, 2013
Churchill College Boat Club Churchill
-
6
6
-
1978, 1985–87, 1989–90
Emmanuel Boat Club Emmanuel
1
4
5
2001 1995–96, 1999, 2004
1st Trinity
5
n/a
5
1898–1900, 1911, 1928 n/a
Newnham College Boat Club Newnham
n/a
5
5
n/a 1975–76, 2003, 2019, 2022
Fitzwilliam College Boat Club Fitzwilliam
3
-
3
1969–71
-
Murray Edwards Boat Club New Hall (now Murray Edwards)
n/a
3
3
n/a 1977, 1981, 1984
Queens' College Boat Club Queens’
3
-
3
1962–63, 1968
-

N.B.: Prior to 1946 1st & 3rd Trinity were two separate rowing clubs: 1st Trinity and 3rd Trinity, hence both separate and combined titles.[5]

Anglia Ruskin, Christ's, Clare Hall, Corpus Christi, Darwin, Girton, Homerton, Hughes Hall, King's, Magdalene, Peterhouse, Robinson, St. Catharine's, Selwyn, Sidney Sussex, St Edmund's, Wolfson, Addenbrooke's and the Veterinary School are the regular entrants never to have finished Head of the River for either the men's or women's events.

Blades, Super-Blades, Technical Blades, and Spoons

Jesus M2, Saturday Mays 2023 outside the Plough

Four boat 'awards' are informally/formally recognised by the individual college boat clubs that take part in the Cambridge May Bumps, these accolades are awarded as follows:

  • Blades: The accolade of earning 'blades' (referring to the rowing oars used by crews) is given to crews that bump up at every opportunity: that is, four bumps on each day in usual cicrcumstances, or five if a crew bumps up to "sandwich" boat. Crews that achieve blades are often given the opportunity to purchase decoratory oars from their college boat club, to serve as a reminder of their contribution to the club's success. For most college rowers, who do not attempt to become University Blues rowers, earning blades is the highest rowing related achievement that can be obtained. Obtaining blades is, for any crew, a rare occurrence, though at each bumps several crews generally "blade". Crews who obtain blades are often photographed and recorded on the walls of the college boathouse to serve as a longer term reminder of their success, and to inspire future generations of college rowers. In the occasion that a crew earns blades, they also earn the right to row back to their college boathouse on the last day of the calendar with their college flag raised high; this practise allows for recognition of the achievement by members of other college boat clubs and the general public watching the races.
  • Super-Blades: In the event that a crew bumps up more than four times, including at least one overbump (with no row overs/bumping down) they are said to have earned 'super-blades'. This is rarer because the circumstances leading to the possibility are uncommon.
  • Technical Blades: In the case that a crew does not bump up on each opportunity of rowing, but does manage to bump up net four places in the overall standings over the course of the week, with no bumping down, i.e. 'making up' for any row overs with an overbump or successive bumps into a higher division, then they are said to have qualified (at the discretion of the captain at each college boat club) for 'Technical Blades'. Technical bladed rowers are usually afforded the same opportunity to obtain a ceremonial blade as those crews that obtain regular blades.
  • Spoons: This 'award' is obtained by crews that are bumped down on every day of the May bumps calendar. The awarding of spoons is an informal occasion by the crew captain, often this captain will actually buy a wooden spoon (decorated) for each crew member as a reminder that "at least they tried".

The Pegasus Cup

Pegasus Cup

The Pegasus Cup is a Cambridge rowing prize first awarded in 2006. It was donated by Milton Brewery and will be awarded annually to the most successful college boat club competing in the Cambridge May Bumping Races. The winner is decided by means of a points system, which is described in the Cambridge University Combined Boat Club handbook as follows:

The Cup is awarded to the Club gaining the most points over the course of the May Bumps. Points are awarded as follows:

  • One point for every place gained by each of a Club’s boats.
  • One point for each night that a Club retains the Men’s or Women’s Headship in Division One.
  • One point deducted for every place lost by each of a Club’s boats.

The total number of points gained over the four days of racing is multiplied by 12 and then divided by the number of boats entered by the Club to give the final score.[6]

To be eligible a club must have at least one men's and one women's boat (except in the case of single sex colleges where two boats of the same sex may be permitted). In the coronavirus year of 2020, May Bumps were not held. Instead, the Pegasus Cup was awarded to the Cambridge college boat club whose members raised the greatest sum for charity (per capita)—Lady Margaret Boat Club, who raised over £3500. The year is asterisked on the Pegasus Cup to distinguish this unusual occurrence.

Winners

2022 finishing positions (2023 starting positions)

Caius M1 rowing over to claim the men's Headship in 2011.

Results:[9]

Men's 1st Division

Women's 1st Division

Downing W1 with the Women's Headship in 2011

See also

  • Eights Week, the equivalent event at Oxford
  • Lent Bumps, the twinned event in Cambridge in late February or early March
  • Links to individual May Bumps results

References

  1. 1 2 3 John Durack, George Gilbert & Dr John Marks, The Bumps: An Account of the Cambridge University Bumping Races 1827–1999, 2000. ISBN 0-9538475-1-9.
  2. "May Bumps Getting-On Race". Cambridge University Combined Boat Clubs. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  3. 1 2 "May Bumps 2020: University issue update after annual event cancelled" - Cambridge News. 30 April 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  4. 1 2 "CUCBC Cancels May Bumps 2021" - Varsity. 14 April 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  5. 1 2 First and Third Trinity Boat Club.
  6. "Pegasus Cup". CUCBC Handbook. CUCBC. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
  7. "Lent Bumps 2020: Cam FM—97.2 FM—Live Results Site".
  8. "Summary results". Cam FM. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  9. , CUCBC.
  • Durack, John; Gilbert, George; Marks, John (2000). The Bumps: An Account of the Cambridge University Bumping Races, 1827–1999. Cambridge: G. Gilbert. ISBN 9780953847501.


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