Torpids

Torpids is one of two series of bumping races, a type of rowing race, held yearly at Oxford University; the other is Eights Week.[2] Over 130 men's and women's crews race for their colleges in six men's divisions and five 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).

Torpids
Head of the River
Oriel Men[1] Wadham Women[1]
Highest 2nd Torpid (Men) Pembroke (Division III)[1]
Highest 2nd Torpid (Women) Wolfson (Division II)[1]
Course Isis (upstream)
Course length c. 1800m
Current sponsor Neptune Investment Management
Note: Last Torpids 27th February – 2nd March 2019[1]
OURCs - Torpids

Overview
Main article: Bumps race

Bumping races evolved in Oxford as the river 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 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.

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, the crew whose boat was hit 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.

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 varsity oarsmen and women - only began to rise at the very end of 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.

Various scenes of Torpids bumps racing at Oxford
  • Men's Division I, places 2 to 5, 2005
  • New College with a broken rudder and bow oar on Saturday, 2008
  • Balliol bump St Catherine's, 2010
  • Worcester College, 2012

Double Headship
The double headship winning Oriel Men's and Women's Eights crews in 2006.

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'. Oriel College is the only college to have achieved a Double Headship in Torpids, having both men's and women's crews at the Head of the River in both 2006 and 2018. Despite the double headship, only one boat was burnt.

Trophies

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 without being bumped itself or that finishes at 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 the race. Thus being both the bumper and the bumped on the same day. Due to the differences in rules between Torpids and Lent Bumps at the University of Cambridge this achievement is only possible at Oxford.

Head of the River - Summary Table
Blade College Men Women Headships Longest time held - Men Longest time held - Women Last Headship – Men Last Headship - Women
Oriel 34 3 37 1972–90 2017–18 2019 2018
Brasenose 22 - 22 1886–94 - 1894 -
New College 15 1 16 1949–53 2005 1904 2005
Balliol 14 - 14 1968–71 - 1971 -
Christ Church 14 - 14 1907–10 - 2011 -
Magdalen 9 5 14 1932–34 2010–13 2008 2016
Exeter 13 - 13 1854–57 - 1868 -
Pembroke 10 - 10 2012–17 - 2017 -
University 9 - 9 1869–73 - 1926 -
St Edmund Hall 6 - 6 1962–66 - 1966 -
Osler-Greena - 5 5 - 1995–99 - 1999
Somerville - 5 5 - 1991–94 - 1994
Wadham 2 3 5 - - 1849 2019
Corpus 4 - 4 1883–85 - 1931 -
Jesus - 4 4 - 1980–83 - 1983
Osler Houseb - 4 4 - 1988–89 - 1989
Merton 1 2 3 - 2003–04 1927 2004
St Catherine's - 3 3 - 2008–09 - 2009
St John's 3 - 3 - - 1967 -
Trinity 3 - 3 - - 1880 -
Worcester 3 - 3 - - 1930 -
Queen's 2 - 2 - - 1958 -
St Hugh's - 1 1 - - - 1985
a Since 2008 this crew composition does not exist anymore. Prior to the foundation of Green Templeton College members of Green College raced with Osler House whereas members of Templeton College raced with Hertford College.
b Prior to the composite crew with Green College and after the foundation of Green Templeton Boat Club Osler has raced as an independent crew formed of clinical medical students.

Men's Head of Torpids

Torpids has been held since 1838. The following gives the colleges that were Head of the River (Head of Torpids) in these years.[3]

Year College Year College Year College Year College Year College
1838Worcester1839Oriel1840Wadham1841Trinity1842Brasenose
1843University1844Oriel1845Brasenose1846Exeter1847Exeter
1848Brasenose1849Wadham1850Brasenose1851Brasenose1852Brasenose
1853Brasenose1854Exeter1855Exeter1856Exeter1857Exeter
1858Pembroke1859Exeter1860Exeter1861Brasenose1862Brasenose
1863Exeter1864Exeter1865Exeter1866Brasenose1867Exeter
1868Exeter1869University1870University1871University1872University
1873University1874Brasenose1875Brasenose1876Trinity1877Pembroke
1878Pembroke1879Pembroke1880Trinity1881Brasenose1882New College
1883Corpus1884Corpus1885Corpus1886Brasenose1887Brasenose
1888Brasenose1889Brasenose1890Brasenose1891Brasenose1892Brasenose
1893Brasenose1894Brasenose1895no racing1896New College1897Balliol
1898Balliol1899Balliol1900New College1901New College1902New College
1903New College1904New College1905University1906University1907Christ Church
1908Christ Church1909Christ Church1910Christ Church1911Balliol1912Magdalen
1913Magdalen1914Christ Church1915*-1916*-1917*-
1918*-1919*-1920Christ Church1921Christ Church1922Worcester
1923Magdalen1924Christ Church1925Christ Church1926University1927Merton
1928Balliol1929Balliol1930Worcester1931Corpus Christi1932Magdalen
1933Magdalen1934Magdalen1935New College1936Magdalen1937Magdalen
1938New College1939St Edmund Hall1940Trinity & Balliol1941*-1942*-
1943*-1944*-1945*-1946St John's1947New College
1948Christ Church1949New College1950New College1951New College1952New College
1953New College1954Balliol1955Balliol1956Balliol1957Queen's
1958Queen's1959Balliol1960St Edmund Hall 1961St John's1962St Edmund Hall
1963no racing1964St Edmund Hall1965St Edmund Hall1966St Edmund Hall1967St John's
1968Balliol1969Balliol1970Balliol1971Balliol1972Oriel
1973Oriel1974Oriel1975Oriel1976Oriel1977no racing
1978Oriel1979Oriel1980Oriel1981Oriel1982Oriel
1983Oriel1984Oriel1985Oriel1986*Oriel1987Oriel
1988Oriel1989Oriel1990*Oriel1991Christ Church1992Oriel
1993Oriel1994*Oriel1995*Oriel1996Oriel1997Oriel
1998*Oriel1999Pembroke2000*no racing2001Oriel2002*no racing
2003Oriel2004Oriel2005Oriel2006Oriel2007*no racing
2008Magdalen2009Christ Church2010Christ Church2011Christ Church2012Pembroke
2013Pembroke2014*no racing2015Pembroke2016Pembroke2017Pembroke
2018*Oriel2019Oriel2020*no racing20212022
  • In 1915-19 no races were conducted due to World War I
  • In 1941-45 limited races were conducted due to World War II
  • 1895, 1963 - No racing due to ice on the river
  • In 1986, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1998, 2003, and 2018 racing was held on fewer than four days
  • In 1991, Oriel were penalty bumped four places for training while the river was in flood.
  • 2000, 2002, 2007, 2014, and 2020 - No racing due to high stream

Women's Head of Torpids

Women's division in Torpids have existed since 1978. This was delayed from 1977 when the river was flooded and Torpids was cancelled.[4][5]

Year College Year College Year College Year College Year College
1978Hertford1979Wadham1980Jesus1981Jesus1982Jesus
1983Jesus1984Osler House1985St Hugh's1986*Osler House1987Somerville
1988Osler House1989Osler House1990*no racing1991Somerville1992Somerville
1993Somerville1994*Somerville1995*Osler-Green1996Osler-Green1997Osler-Green
1998*Osler-Green1999Osler-Green2000*no racing2001St Catherine's2002*no racing
2003*Merton2004Merton2005New College2006Oriel2007*no racing
2008St Catherine's2009St Catherine's2010Magdalen2011Magdalen2012Magdalen
2013Magdalen2014*no racing2015Wadham2016Magdalen2017Oriel
2018*Oriel2019Wadham2020*no racing20212022
  • 1977, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2014, and 2020 - No racing due to high stream
  • 1986, 1994, 1995, 1998, 2003, and 2018 - racing was held on fewer than four days
  • 1990 - A fast stream meant that only informal racing was held.
gollark: Registers mostly have 64 bits or so. My brain can store at least 100KB of random data.
gollark: Fascinating.
gollark: You only have one register?
gollark: Because apparently you must """do things yourself""""" and not make the computer do the mechanically-doable thing.
gollark: Well, you can't use those on tests generally.

See also

References
  1. Oxford University Rowing Clubs, Torpids 2019, retrieved 4 March 2019
  2. Sherwood, W. E. (1900). "The Torpids". Oxford Rowing: A History of Boat-Racing at Oxford from the Earliest Times. Oxford and London: Henry Frowde, Archive.org. pp. 43–49. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  3. Sherwood, W. E. (1900). "The Torpids (results)". Oxford Rowing: A History of Boat-Racing at Oxford from the Earliest Times. Oxford and London: Henry Frowde, Archive.org. pp. 147–170. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  4. http://www.atm.ox.ac.uk/rowing/history.html#women
  5. http://www.atm.ox.ac.uk/rowing/bumps/
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