CRA town bumps, 2026

The finest sporting event of the year returns. But alas I am in O2 (aka M2) this year, rather than O1, having lost at the seat racing; still it was a fair trial. And - apart from the lost glory of course - I sort-of gain, because M2 has been going out as a crew 2-3 times a week, whereas M1, being full of ringers, only really went out together last Sunday.

But enough of that. Since I'm writing this after the fist day, I can report how it went.

Monday. Here we see M2, and as you can guess we went up, catching Fitz Alum just before or at Ditton. A good row. GPS gives us a max of 22.8 kph off the start, which I consider improbable; but likely we hit 1:30. And for some odd reason my HR doesn't kick in until half way through, getting to 156. Harry took a video of he start; it all looks quite clean. We had both Harry and Conor giving distances; this was quite confusing as they could both be heard, but Harry was more optimistic; so we went from half-a-length to three-quarters-and-closing; I took this to mean they had put in a push, which we were reeling back in; but I think now that wasn't so. Anyway, it was all the familiar feels: good to get whistles, taking forever to get the next one, seeing the crew behind fall back - good - but then get bumped - ah that means we really want this bump to stay ahead for tomorrow. Can I afford to just keep rowing cleanly or do I really need to put in 100% effort? I did put in extra to help us around Grassy, being on bowside. But on Plough Reach we sped up a little - it all went by in a blur and I had my head down of course but I think there were boats bumped out on Grassy and we lost a little there in steering - and we were down to "three feet!" and then it happened. Hurrah!

M3 was somewhat less glorious, we went down, to Tabs Past Masters, but that did include Morley, Arnold and Gunning, who really shouldn't be slumming it down on the third division. GPS. We got almost to First Post before... well, Andy's video tells the story. I love the way I slide into view, arm raised. Although he only captures the end, certain issues are evident: Luke catches with his blade at 45 degrees, as does Steve. However, I think we had a decent row, up to the crew's ability; since we didn't get to the corners I don't think my steering was tested.

Traditionally (2025), I try to do a pre-bumps assessment before the first day. Having failed to do that, I'll try to write what I would have said. Both M2 and M3 are decent for their divisions. M2 can get down to 1:30 off the start and doesn't die too quickly; M3 is more typically 1:45, but also doesn't die, and is significantly better balanced than last year (but frustratingly needs to be told for stroke side to pull their finishes up, and refuses to internalise this). M3 got somewhat unlucky in their (fast) chasing crew; we were making some, but slow, progress on Rad 2 ahead. I have hopes of actually getting around First Post in the future.

Tuesday. M2 have the day off, so I only have M3. Starting now at #14, we have Poachers behind us, who should be respectable but old. We do well enough, getting almost to Grassy before getting zapped. GPS. They responded well when I called for pushes; but we were just a bit too messy to stay ahead. Oh, and also I stuffed up the entrance to Grassy a bit: having got too close to the far bank I had to steer out a little, which meant when turning into Grassy my stern swept out and they were outside me and in taking the corner I would have bumped myself; I needed their stern inside me to get any further round and hope for a surprise.

Wednesday: M3 off, back to M2. We row-over behind Press. Initially we gained, perhaps to 3/4 of a length, but then quietly and gently faded. I feel just a tiny bit guilty about that, because I wasn't at 100% effort, but... well. I felt that it just wasn't going to happen. Behind us we watched Fitz get to within a length, maybe closer; get pushed very hard by City of Clare, but escape; good. Then drone M1 and watch them go up, on Ditton.

Thursday: back to M3. We have Christian in for DaveB at two, likely more power and definitely more stamina (sorry Dave...). A little late to the start - still spinning on the four minute gun - because the hard was crowded and I wasn't pushy. But we stayed calm. We're hoping for a row-over today, with little hope of catching Poachers. GPS. But to my surprise we're creeping up, getting to within a length, maybe better, so I exhort the crew to stay on it, and we do largely. They get a poor line around Ditton, possibly influenced by weed, but certainly they head off to the far bank and we pass them. Cheers all round and willow. And then O2... GPS. Our strategy is to go harder on the start and catch / scare them early... I had argued against this, and in favour of emphasising staying faster after the start, but I go with the flow. Anyway, it was a decent start, but it doesn't help, they are if anything further off than y'day (and GPS says our A14-to-Plough times are within a second all three days) until... yes, you guessed it, luck strickes twice and they also stuff up Ditton, probably weed on the rudder, and just as we're doing an all-out bumps-ten kind of thing - which does actually lift our speed - we've gone past them, and wind down. Cue more willow. Later: doring M1, who look to be about a length down around Ditton, and my drone can distantly see them on the Reach, though TBH I cannot tell one crew from another. But later it emerges they bumped up just before the Railway (which is their finish, but they could chase, their target being crew 8).

Friday: M3 down by First Post, to a scorching start from Poachers, a complete turnaround from yesterday when we gained on them off the start. GPS. I suspect some crew changes on their part; for our part, we had Kalus for Steve at stroke; and ?Anne-Marie? for Christian at two.

M2: GPS. A cruise up, dropping Press from the start and mowing down Nines five just past First Post; really it has been a poor year for  Nines. Out station-11-to-first-post split was 1:38 this time; see table of comparisons. 7 seconds off the 2013 mega-fast-start M1.

So we end the week up three; perhaps with better luck in the start order we might have got blades; but without luck on Thursday we would only have been up one.

And then, after droning O1, to Christ's for drinks and speeches and drunken disquisitions on the stae of rowing until midnight; then to City for more debauchery, before strolling home at 2:30.