CHBC brings grit and spirit to Lent Bumps
Cold mornings, early alarms, and the quiet buzz of excitement along the Cam could only mean one thing: Lent Bumps had arrived. Over four days of racing, Clare Hall Boat Club took to the river with determination, team spirit, and plenty of memorable moments, from hard-fought chases to well-earned bumps.
What follows are reflections from those at the heart of the action.
Men’s First Boat (O1)
Simeon Hatzopoulos, Co-Men’s Captain & Stroke Seat
This year’s Lent Bumps saw a Clare Hall O1 full of excitement, resilience and determination. With one of the coldest and wettest Lent terms, the early morning sessions required even more focus and strength than in previous years. But it encouraged us even more to present a strong showing of CHBC this season.
On Day 1, a chaotic start sequence which stemmed from the accumulation of mishaps on the bank and in the boat led us to concede a bump to Sidney and Sussex O2. We learned from our mistakes from Day 1 and performed a stellar start that kept other crews away from us. We rowed over as the boats ahead of us bumped out before we could catch them.
Day 3 saw the highlight of the competition as we bumped Selwyn O2. After years of rivalry we stayed ahead this year.
On Day 4, a vicious chase of St. Catherine’s O2 ended in a second row over. We ended in the same position where we started but experienced the full breadth of what Bumps entails.
We are proud of the effort of our O1 team this Lent Bumps. A 50/50 mix of experience and beginners ensured that athletes who recently joined were given the attention needed to achieve the stellar improvements they showed over the past weeks. The potential in the boat is more than promising and even more attainable by the time we hear the May Bumps gun!
Women’s First Boat (W1)
Rachel Sippy, W1 Cox
This year for bumps we were positioned 3rd in Division III, meaning we had the opportunity to “bump up” into the next division – an exciting but challenging prospect! Moving into the second division would require us to bump into the 2nd position then to bump twice on the following day (as the “sandwich boat”). Could the women’s boat achieve this? We were feeling confident!
On the first day, our target was Trinity Hall: the cannon boomed as we were off. Clare Hall is known for their strong starts but we wobbled a little the first day and had a long but powerful chase up the Cam – a row over!
On the second day, we were determined to catch Trinity Hall but were being chased by a very strong boat from St Edmunds. Would we be able to catch Trinity Hall before Eddie’s caught us? We rowed very close to Trinity Hall on the first day so we knew it was possible. We were focused on improving our start to allow an early gain and hopefully an early bump. Alas, there was a rowing kit malfunction (blades handles getting caught in clothing) but we recovered quickly and the hunt was on! We chased around First Post with Trinity Hall in our sights, but Eddie’s followed right behind and bumped us before we moved into Grassy Corner.
On the third day we knew we were in for a long row over again, so we mentally prepared for the 2k and used it as an opportunity to strengthen our start, steel our nerves, and show off our rowing power. It was a beautiful row and a chance for the crew to synchronise with one another.
The last day of bumps, we again had the challenge to chase Trinity Hall, but were also being chased by Downing. Downing thought that they could bump our boat and win blades and had communicated this to us … we saw red (or pink?) and while our primary target was a bump on Trinity Hall, we were also highly motivated to deny Downing. All three boats were hot off the start, coming around First Post and into Grassy Corner. Downing gained and was extremely close – their bow was encroaching our stern! No worries – we focused ahead and cut a beautiful corner around Grassy, leaving Downing to flounder in the cross-stream. Downing tried to recover the chase in front of the Plough, but continued to fall farther behind as we continued chasing Trinity Hall. All boats should remember that the bumps course continues all the way to Green Dragon Bridge and you cannot give up the chase! Fortunately we had ample experience with the long row over and never let a Trinity Hall relax.
We congratulated Trinity Hall on their strong rowing and they acknowledged ours. By the time Downing showed up, we could tell they were displeased … better luck to us all next year! Happy bumps!
Clare Hall warmly congratulates all members of the Boat Club on their efforts during this year’s Lent Bumps. Across both crews, the commitment, resilience, and camaraderie shown on and off the water are a credit to the college community!