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The University of Cambridge is divided into several colleges. Some, like King's and Trinity, are household names. Others, like Hughes Hall and Wolfson, less so. One thing they all have is a boat club. Crews of eight set sail on the Cam in an effort to become the quickest and strongest rowers in the university. Although there are regular competitions, none is bigger than the Bumps.

The competition is essentially a race over two kilometres in north-east Cambridge. The river is far too narrow for crews to overtake each other so, instead, crews start 30m apart with the aim of hitting the boat in front. That’s why the races are called the Bumps and that’s what makes them such a unique spectacle.

The event is organised by Cambridge University Combined Boat Clubs (CUCBC). Chair Peter Convey says “there is a well developed system of planning in terms of ensuring ambulance cover, briefings for umpires, towpath access” that allows the competition to run smoothly.

The May Bumps ran from the 13th to 16th June. In a good year, up to 5,000 spectators will line the banks to cheer on their favourite college (identifiable by blade colour). Anglia Ruskin University has its own team that enters under the acronym of CCAT.

Thousands of people watch the May Bumps

Unfortunately for all involved, this year’s proceedings were affected by unseasonably wet weather. Peter stresses “rain per se is not a threat” although “from the crew’s point of view, different wind directions and strengths can drastically affect the conditions under which they row”.

One such crew member is Matt Harrington. His Emmanuel II boat raced in the Men’s 2nd division last week. In order to cope with the physical demands, Matt spent the term rowing and weightlifting. This meant his coaches could spur him on with words like “if you are hurting now, imagine how they are feeling!”

If a boat bumps on every day of the event, the crew are eligible for blades. With the exception of the winning Caius crew, Emmanuel II were the highest ranked boat to achieve such a feat. Matt says he “will never forget the moments he lived in bumps” whilst he “showed everyone just how good we were”. Matt stresses the importance of teamwork, saying he had an "amazing amount of respect for the other seven members of the boat".

So if you, like Matt, want “an experience like none other”, then head to the Cam next year and immerse yourself in one of the region’s premier sporting events.