CRA Bumps Marshals Information

If you are new to marshalling or the Bumps, please come to a coxes meeting. These will be held at 7.15pm on Sunday 18^th July and Monday 19^th July, at the Nines boathouse. It would be helpful if you have read these notes; the notes for Coxes and the Bumps Safety Information.

The Senior Umpire, Roger Thorogood, is in overall charge of all race marshals and Ian Cowley is his second in command. Report any incidents etc to them either at the end of the race or urgently if circumstances dictate, although both are experienced so will have a good over-view of what is going on.

Race Marshals instructions

Please print-off a starting order from the bumps press page/startorder for the day - http://cra-online.net/bumps/press/index.asp - to bring with you together with a writing implement. A pencil may be best if it is wet. Please check-in at the control point by Peters Posts on your way down to the start and collect a reflective jacket. (Please remember to return it later.) Then report to Roger at the gun sheds. He will allocate you to your crew(s) and advise you, for each Division, of where the finish will be. (See the Rules)

Your job is to see the fair running of the races and to be prepared to assist generally should the need arise. Each crew has its own bank party and the cox is in command of each crew. Your job is largely one of observation so please keep a mental note of Bumps you see together with whatever may happen in consequence, in what order and where on the river it all occurs.

Please introduce yourself to the crews you will be allocated to follow. Please ensure that all involved are aware that in the event of a dispute, they need to alert you to the fact their bank party intends to lodge one with the Control Point at the end of the Races. You do not have to get involved any further than this. You do need to mention it to the control point yourself and it is also helpful if you can jot down, on a report form, the points you mentally noted. A ‘verdict’ is useful if you feel the circumstances are clear. They may not be as clear from the perception of the crew, who are facing the wrong way and generally rather ‘fired up’!, while the cox will have his or her view impeded by the crew. While individual crews are responsible for recording their Bumps, it acts as a check if the marshal mentions it at the control point too.

At the start, if a crew appears not to be on station, mention this to the two following crews so they are aware that a technical bump will be made quickly when an abrupt stop will then be made. If a cox drops the bung then watch to see if you feel this gives that crew an unfair advantage and they make a bump. Report this to one of the senior marshals to adjudicate. On the first night, coxes will be nervous and if the bung is dropped but it makes no difference just mention it to the cox, who will probably be mortified anyway.

Cycle where boats are close and, ideally, by the bows of the boat making the bump. If the cox puts their hand up to acknowledge, then that is a bump, whether you saw it or not. Before the Plough, a technical Bump can be made. This is where the bow of the following boat, making an allowance for the effect of the corner to the advantage of the leading boat, is level with the cox’s seat in the leading boat. The cox should acknowledge but you will have a better view and may need to tell the cox to acknowledge. These calls can be difficult but if two crews are travelling fast with one overlapping another and making ground, then soon a safety issue can develop so when it is clear a Bumps is inevitable, tell the cox to acknowledge.

After the Plough, there needs to be contact and not just overlap but, again, if the cox acknowledges then that is that. Safety remains paramount and if a cox persists in ignoring your instruction to acknowledge then you need to tell the bank party as well as the cox, subsequently mentioning it to the Senior Umpires. Crews will be fined for failing to acknowledge in a timely fashion.

In addition to observing, you need to help to keep the river clear. The Rules require that the crew making the Bump stop rowing while the crew being bumped carry on rowing. In practice, the latter can ‘collapse’ while the former remain fired up.
After a Bump is made, the river needs to be cleared as quickly as possible. If a bump is made in the Gut, if possible get the crews to keep going to Grassy Corner and then pull in on the towpath side. This would require crews to be nearly to Grassy Corner and to be quick. If this is not possible, then get crews to pull in to the towpath side in the Gut. (The bank on the Fen Ditton side has many trees and it is difficult for crews to pull either their boats or their blades in far enough to leave the river clear for following crews.) Crews need to be directed to the outside of bends and all crews need reminding to pull their blades in clear of both following crews and the towpath.

You may need to warn spectators to move out of the way if you see a crew heading towards the bank at speed. They may not realise that the blades can take their legs from underneath them.

With crews that have bumped out safely ‘parked’, assist the following crews to steer through to carry on tracing. If three or four boats are close together then you may need to decide which crew bumped first which will need a speedy decision before helping crews who are not involved to make their way through to continue their race. If a crew makes a wrong judgement with the course that it takes and is bumped, then that is one of those things and they are bumped, however unfair it might seem.

If the river is blocked and it would be dangerous for crews to try to follow through, then do what you can to stop the race. You should be within shouting distance of a Senior Umpire who will take control. The static marshals at First Post and Grassy will have loud hailers. The marshal at First Post will have a red flag to warn following crews. Remember bank parties should also be assisting you with this. Once the race is stopped, help crews on their way again when it is safe to do so and encourage a speedy return home to ensure the next Division can come down to the start on time. In general terms, we do not have time for any re-rows and, however disappointing, it is a question of coming down and trying again the following night.

Please be aware that the static marshals have radio contact with all the other officials, including the First Aiders who will be positioned at Grassy Corner.

In the event of any objections remember your job is not to get involved, but to report back to Senior Marshall and the Control Point with your report on what you saw. Bad language should also be reported.

If no Bumps are made and there are no disputes, then you can return to the gun sheds for the next division.

At the end of each day, the Bumps Committee will meet at the Control Point to finalise the results and the website is updated straight away. On the Friday night, this is usually done quickly so that we can get round to the CRA/Nines/City boathouses where the presentations of the Head Plate, Trophy and individual pots is made.

Static Marshals instructions

If you are new to marshalling or the Bumps, please come to a coxes meeting. These will be held at 7.15pm on Sunday 18^th July and Monday 19^th July, at the Nines boathouse. It would be helpful if you have read these notes; the notes for Coxes and the Bumps Safety Information. Nothing can beat experience and these are notes only so if you have any queries, ask fellow Club members who have taken part in the Bumps in the past and will know how the event works.

Please observe what is going on during races and report to the Control Point or Senior umpire if you witness any pile-ups by your position. You may need to radio for first aid. Your observation of crews chasing each other closely may help the Senior Marshall determine an outcome that is difficult to judge. Your recollection may be invaluable to Roger Thorogood, the Senior Umpire, in reaching his final decision. Radio your report to the control point during a suitable lull in the proceedings. Please remember that we cannot all speak at once on the radios so keep use of them to a minimum and ensure you do not ‘cut in’ on anyone. If you wish to speak to someone, address their position and also their name if known.

All marshals need to be aware of the need to help to keep the river clear. The Rules require that the crew making the Bump stop rowing while the crew being bumped carry on rowing. In practice, the latter can ‘collapse’ while the former remain fired up. You may need to warn spectators to move out of the way if you see a crew heading towards the bank at speed. They may not realise that the blades can take their legs from underneath them.

I am sure I do not need to spell out the need to exercise extreme care in the event of any contact with Bob Middleton. Keep a note of the time of any incident and obtain names and contact details for any witnesses so that a full report can be submitted to Pip Noon. Let the Chief Umpire and the Bumps Secretary know by radio immediately there is any sign of his barge moving away from its mooring during the races.

LOCK:
Jim Russell is the lock keeper and watches for pleasure boats coming up through Baits Bite, holding them back to suit the Divisions as necessary. He also helps liaise with Georgina. He knows the area and various contacts.

FIRST POST:
A careful watch needs to be kept on the racing as it approaches. Be ready to assist in the event of a pile-up. After a Bump is made, the river needs to be cleared as quickly as possible. If a bump is made in the Gut, if possible get the crews to keep going to Grassy Corner and then pull in on the towpath side. This would require crews to be nearly to Grassy Corner and to be quick. If this is not possible, then get crews to pull in to the towpath side in the Gut. (The bank on the Fen Ditton side has many trees and it is difficult for crews to pull either their boats or their blades in far enough to leave the river clear for following crews.) Crews need to be directed to the outside of bends and all crews need reminding to pull their blades in clear of both following crews and the towpath.

Keep in touch with the marshals at Grassy Corner so that the Gut is kept as clear as possible. If there is a serious pile-up then use the Red Flag and loud hailer to stop the Division. Safety remains paramount throughout the Bumps.

GRASSY CORNER:

Please bear in mind what your neighbour in the First Post position is tasked to do and be ready to assist him/her in clearing the Gut if necessary – see above. Keep an eye out for quad bikes or local ‘oiks’ exhibiting threatening behaviour on the towpath, by the cut through from Fen Road. Report any problems to the Control Point. Help sell programmes if necessary. Spectators often stand on the towpath and block progress of cyclists, so both are a danger to each other. When a race is approaching, try to warn folk to keep the towpath clear. If any cyclists who are clearly not involved with the Bumps pass you, heading towards the start when you know a race is approaching, try to warn them. The First Aiders tell me that their main tasks stem from injuries to cyclists. We have no rights to stop folk, but we can point out the dangers. Radio to control and the finish marshal when the last boat in a division passes you so they can warn the next Division to be ready to move off towards the start.

FINISH:

Please liaise with Roger Thorogood and the Rules to be certain of the end of the Course as it changes during the evening for the various Divisions. You need to be in position so the coxes can see you as they approach you. It is up to crews and their bank parties to be aware of the early finish in each Division – you mark the end of the Course. As crews pass, you need to advise them to wind down and remind them to stay in single file, no overtaking and keeping to the right as they go back home, watching out for crews going down to the next Division where appropriate. Crews will follow where they have bumped out earlier and these need to be chivvied along with the same warnings so the course is cleared as quickly as possible.

Liaise with Roger so that when the river is clear, you can tell the waiting crews when to move off to go down to the start. The marshals on the common will help you with this.

RAILWAY BRIDGE:

Crews need to ‘check in’ with you on their way to the start, especially on the first night and in the early divisions, when everyone will be both nervous and possibly a little uncertain on where they need to be. Advise Roger Thorogood when a Division is complete or, after the appointed time for crews to have passed you, incomplete. Let Control know too – we may be able to chivvy crews up. Remind crews going down for W2 and M4 that they need to get themselves into reverse order as they progress down the to start. Remind M3 that they need to line up in reverse order on the Common on the far side, between the railings and the railway bridge. W1 should not progress pass you until M2 has cleared through the Railway Bridge. However, with care and suitable warning to keep to the right, they can make a move off to the start when the last one or two stragglers in M2 are making their way home. M1 must not move through the Railway Bridge until W1 has finished racing and its clearly clear and safe for them to do so.

Remind crews they may only make one racing start at the railway bridge – get them to move down the reach a little way before doing so to clear the narrow stretch under the Railway Bridge – and then at the Plough. If we get late, Roger may decide to reduce this to just one start. Tell crews going home passed you that if they are swapping boats/coxes/etc they should do so between the Railway Bridge and the bend where the beer tree is positioned. Tell crews who wish to stop at the beer tree to pull in above the bend to avoid congestion and to walk back down to the beer tree.

CONTROL:

Bumps, challenges, incidents and disputes – all will be reported at the Control Point. Some incidents may need a report form done to pass to Pip Noon. If a marshal only provides brief information, ask them to visit control to complete the details as fully as possible before they go home. Some incidents may need reporting to the River Manager. Summarise any challenges and liaise with Roger to determine them. Keep radio traffic to a minimum. Stephen Chapman will be in attendance when necessary to enter Bumps directly on to the website. Sell programmes if necessary. Ensure that control is not left unattended, as there is a lot of expensive and vital equipment based there.

Apologies for stating what many may regard as the ‘obvious’. Comments and suggestions for improvements are welcome.

At the end of each day, the Bumps Committee will meet at the Control Point to finalise the results and the website is updated straight away. On the Friday night, this is usually done quickly so that we can get round to the CRA/Nines/City boathouses where the presentations of the Head Plate, Trophy and individual pots is made.