It’s the biggest competition in Lent and Easter term collegiate rowing. Months of ergs, weights, outings, early mornings, late evenings: they all come down to this moment. Eight men or women sit poised, blades buried, waiting to see if all of their hard work has been worth it. The coaches count down; there is silence on the river. Then a single cannon sounds. Every crew takes that first stroke together, racing forward, desperately trying to catch up to the crew in front and ‘bump’ them. Eight oars rise and sink. Eight rowers strain their every muscle. Yet there are not eight people sitting in that boat; there are in fact nine.

Coxing occupies a strange position within the sporting world. It is a role in which you both take part in a sport, while simultaneously not doing any exercise at all. Coxes are the people who sit at the back of the boat, facing the rowers. They are responsible for the safety of the crew, for steering around the (many) corners of the Cam, coaching their crew and motivating during races. It is a test of mental, rather than physical, endurance. I have been involved in the Cambridge rowing scene since my first week in Cambridge: as a rower, a coach, a captain and now as a cox. This time last year, I coxed Lady Margaret’s W2 boat in the Lent bumps; this year, it will be Lady Margaret M1.

The most fun that can be had in coxing on the Cam is undoubtedly during the Bumps races. Due to the narrow nature of the river, side-by-side racing is difficult on the Cam: bumps offer the solution. College boats line up behind one another in divisions of roughly 17 – with the order determined by the previous year’s finishing order – and set off at the sound of a cannon. They then race to collide with the boat in front of them, thus earning them a ‘bump’. Those who bump or are bumped then pull to the side of the river, and the rest of the crews continue racing. The aim is to make as many of these bumps as possible. Achieving a bump every day of the races (four in total) will give the crew much-coveted blades.

Bumps present a unique challenge for coxes. Coxes often have the chance to make a real difference to the outcome of races and this is never more true than for the bumps. YouTube is strewn with countless videos of past bumps races where the cox has made a bad decision and subsequently lost the bump. Conversely, the right strategic move or a good line around a corner can make the difference between a bump or a row over (rowing the whole of the course without bumping or being bumped).

One of the most nerve-wracking moments of Bumps for a cox is just after the one minute gun is fired. This is the point at which your coach will start counting down. In your hand, you hold the bung: a piece of wood attached by a long chain that you must keep hold of until the start gun goes. Another person pushes you out into the middle of the river with a long pole, with maybe 20-30 seconds to go. Bow and two seat (the two nearest to the back) take little taps until you are straight, and then everyone comes forward. The blades are square and buried, the counting stops, and then you hear the gun. Every boat jumps forward at once as you race through the start sequence. You settle into the race, trying to keep your rowers focused within the boat in spite of the chaos outside. You can hear other coxes yelling, coaches are screaming from the bank, and the first whistles (indicating how far you are off of the boat in front) begin to be blown.

Maybe a boat in front of you bumps and blocks the river, and you have to take a difficult line to avoid them. Maybe one of your rowers crabs (gets their blade stuck in the water) and you have to make a tactical decision about how to deal with it. You might gain on the crew in front and have to call that all-important move to finally bump them, or you might have to motivate your crew to pull away from a crew gaining behind. At all times, you are calling to your crew, listening to your coach, listening to the umpires, and always looking ahead to see what the boats in front of you are doing. It is an exhilarating and incredible experience.

However, coxing the Bumps is not just nerve-wracking; it is also potentially dangerous. Precautions are, of course, taken to protect all of the coxes who take part. Information meetings are held before every Bumps for coxes, outlining safeguards. All coxes wear lifejackets, and every boat is fitted with a bow ball (sort of a squash ball fitted to the end of the boat so that it is not a sharp point.)

In spite of this, however, the cox’s seat is the most dangerous place to be during the Bumps. There is nothing more terrifying as a cox than looking behind you during a race to see another crew gaining on you at a much faster pace than you yourself are rowing. The adrenaline rush of urging your crew on, knowing that you may be hit, is intense. While coxing W2 in last year’s Bumps, I was hit in the back by a Darwin crew (through no fault of theirs or mine, just bad luck). Although I was relatively uninjured, it brings home the dangers that Bumps can entail.

Ultimately, Bumps are a test for both rowers and coxes. For rowers, it is a physical and mental challenge, seeing if their training over the last few months has paid off. For coxes, it is purely a mental challenge: holding your nerve, urging your crew on and hoping to make that bump. In my opinion, it is the most exciting place to be in Bumps.