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26-626: Eights Week , also known as Summer Eights , is a four-day regatta of bumps races which constitutes the University of Oxford 's main intercollegiate rowing event of the year. The regatta takes place in May of each year, from the Wednesday to the Saturday of the fifth week of Trinity Term . Men's and women's eights compete in separate divisions for their colleges. The racing takes place on

52-455: A lower division rows again the same day at the bottom of the division above. The name 'Torpids' derives from the event's origins as a race for the second boats of the colleges, which were of course slower than the first boats. The status of the event — still adjudged below that of Summer Eights on account of the absence of rowers in the Varsity boat races — only began to rise at the very end of

78-718: A particular area or boat type, but are often held just for the joy of competition, camaraderie , and general promotion of the sport. One of the largest and most popular rowing regattas is the Henley Royal Regatta held on the River Thames , England. One of the largest and oldest yachting regattas in the world is Cowes Week , which is held annually by the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes , England, and usually attracts over 900 sailing boats. Cowes Week

104-459: A single one design class and usually last more than one day. Regattas may be hosted by a yacht club , sailing association, town or school as in the case of the UK's National School Sailing Association and Interscholastic Sailing Association (high school) regattas or Intercollegiate Sailing Association (college) regattas. The Barcolana regatta of the yacht club Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano

130-555: Is an accolade of any college finishing with their men's and women's crews at the 'Head of the River'. Oriel is the first to have achieved this in Torpids, in 2006. The college's new first crews repeated this in 2018. The first day's starting order is based on the previous year's finishing positions, and each subsequent day's starting order is based on the previous day's finishing positions. A crew that bumps on every day or that finishes at

156-660: Is currently the Guinness world record holder as the "largest sailing race" with 2,689 boats and over 16,000 sailors at the starting line. Currently, The Three Bridge Fiasco, conducted by the Singlehanded Sailing Society of San Francisco Bay with more than 350 competitors is the largest sailboat race in the United States. Torpids Torpids is one of two series of bumping races , a type of rowing race, held yearly at Oxford University ;

182-608: Is predated by the Cumberland Cup (1775), Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta (1822) and Port of Plymouth Regatta (1823). North America 's oldest regatta is the Royal St. John's Regatta held on Quidi Vidi Lake in St. John's, Newfoundland every year since 1818. There exist other traditional and centuries old boat races like Vallam kali of Kerala, India and Dragon Boat Race from China. Sailing race events are typically held for

208-507: Is too narrow for normal side by side racing. Competing crews start the race lined up in order, one behind another, with their coxes holding ropes ('bung lines') attached to the bank, with gaps of about 1.5 boat lengths between the bow of one boat and the stern of the one in front. Racing is started by the firing of a cannon. Racing is by division, the number of crews in a division depending on river conditions. The bottom men's division starts first with men's and women's alternating, finishing with

234-450: The Isis , a length of the River Thames , which is generally too narrow for side by side racing. For each division, twelve boats line up at the downstream end of the stretch, each cox holding onto a rope attached to the bank, leaving around 1.5 boat lengths between each boat. The start of racing is signalled by the firing of a cannon, each crew attempting to progress up their division by bumping

260-457: The Head of the River is awarded blades - the right to get trophy oars painted up in their college colours with the names and weights of the successful crew emblazoned on them. Spoons are awarded in case the crew was bumped on every single day. A third, somewhat unusual possibility is the award of spades . The crew is both bumped and then proceeds to bump a crew in front of it before the end of

286-413: The boat in front, while avoiding being bumped by the boat behind. Once a bump has taken place, both of the crews involved stop racing and move to the side to allow the rest of the division to pass. It is possible to "over bump" if the 2 crews in front of your boat bump (and so drop out) and your boat can catch the boat that was in front of them. They then swap places for the next day's racing, whether that be

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312-407: The calendar day or the first day of racing in the next year's competition. The ultimate aim of a crew is to become "Head of the River" (top of the first division) and stay there. This entitles the winning crew to commission trophy oars in their college colours with the names and weights of the successful crew on them — commonly called "winning blades". As this is only possible for crews already near

338-441: The crew whose boat was bumped has to continue racing (and is liable to be bumped again) whilst the bumping crew moves to the side. This can lead to a crew moving down several places during a day's racing. This is the principal difference in the rules between Torpids and Summer Eights , where both crews stop racing. Commonly a cox will concede a bump, signalled by raising an arm, rather than waiting to be hit. The crew finishing top of

364-511: The event began in Oxford in 1815. In this year, crews from Brasenose College and Jesus College raced for the Head of the River, from Iffley Lock to Mr King's Barge, which was moored near the current Head of the River hotel. The event is also notable for the fact that both crews rowed in eight oared boats, specially built for the purpose. Such recreational as occurred at this time was usually conducted in pairs, or four or six oared cutters. The fact

390-549: The first time since the Second World War . In the year after, Summer Eights were replaced by Summer Torpids , which was held instead because the 2021 Torpids races were also cancelled due to the pandemic response. Both Summer Eights and Torpids resumed as regular in 2022, using the college rankings from the end of 2019. In 2023, the Brasenose-Peter's composite crew became the first composite crew to qualify in

416-411: The historic occasion. Although regular races between professional watermen had been known since 1715 when Doggett's Coat and Badge was instituted, amateur racing was unknown before 1808. Meanwhile, recreational rowing had begun in Oxford very much earlier, with students rowing in single wherries at least as early as 1769. The first amateur races between organised clubs which prepared and trained for

442-423: The history of Summer Eights as well as the first to ever get a bump. Summer Eights has been held since 1815. No racing occurred during World War I . In World War II , though college rowing continued, there were insufficient students for normal racing between colleges to be maintained. As a consequence, most colleges competed in composite clubs, and the number of crews competing was greatly curtailed. After

468-673: The nineteenth century, when colleges began to form first boats to compete. Nowadays there is no limit on the number of boats a college may enter, although crews in the last two divisions and crews without a position have to qualify to race by competing in a timed race the preceding Friday, known as 'rowing on'. Athletes competing in that year's Boat Race , Women's Boat Race or any of the Lightweight University crews at Henley Boat Races may not compete in Torpids, but may compete in Summer Eights . The 'Double Headship'

494-408: The other is Eights Week . Over 130 men's and women's crews race for their colleges in twelve divisions: six each of men's and women's; almost 1,200 participants in total. The racing takes place on the Isis (part of the River Thames ), usually in the 7th week of Hilary Term on four successive days from Wednesday to Saturday (around the start of March). Bumping races evolved in Oxford as the river

520-407: The race. Thus being both the bumper and the bumped on the same day. Owing to the differences in rules between Torpids and Lent Bumps at the University of Cambridge this achievement is only possible at Oxford. Torpids has been held since 1838. The following gives the colleges that were Head of the River (Head of Torpids) in these years. Women's divisions in Torpids have existed since 1978. This

546-406: The racing event, and except in the case of boat type (or "class") championships, is usually named for the town or venue where the event takes place; for example “valley field”. Although regattas are typically amateur competitions, they are usually formally structured events, with comprehensive rules describing the schedule and procedures of the event. Regattas may be organized as championships for

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572-582: The racing was conducted in eight oared boats gave rise to the event being known as Eights. Brasenose College and Jesus College recontested the event in 1816, with Brasenose again triumphing. Christ Church joined in the event from 1817, when they went Head, a position they retained until 1819. Christ Church did not row in 1820. The next recorded races, between Brasenose and Jesus, were in 1821 and 1822. A dispute about professional watermen being allowed in college crews precluded racing in 1823. Until this time, Jesus and Brasenose had each used paid coaches who rowed in

598-493: The stroke seats of the crews. From 1824, Christ Church and Exeter College began racing, with Exeter going Head in that year. A rule banning the use of "out college men" (i.e. men from other colleges) rowing in college crews saw the entry of Worcester College in 1825, University and Balliol Colleges in 1827, and Oriel and Trinity Colleges in 1828. During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Summer Eights were cancelled for

624-445: The top of division one, another way to win blades is to bump on each day of the competition. The "Double Headship" is an accolade awarded to any college finishing with both their men's and women's crews at the "Head of the River" in their respective divisions. This feat has only ever been achieved once, by Pembroke College in 2003. A silver "Double Headship Trophy" was commissioned from the silversmith Peter Musson in 2003, to commemorate

650-537: The top women's division. Crews attempt to progress up their division by hitting ('bumping') the boat in front without being hit by the boat behind, with the ultimate aim of becoming "Head Of The River" i.e. top of the first division. The Head of the River is awarded the Torpids Challenge Cup, presented to the OUBC by President T.C. Edwards-Moss of Brasenose College Boat Club . Once a bump has taken place,

676-637: The war, normal racing continued, and in 1946 college crews started in the order in which they finished in 1939. Regatta A regatta is a series of boat races. The term comes from the Venetian language , with regata meaning "contest, contention for mastery"(from regatare ("compete, haggle, sell at retail"), possibly from recatare ) and typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas. A regatta often includes social and promotional activities which surround

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