The King's 1st men's VIII have spent most of their history in the second division of the Lent and May Bumps.

2013 saw the previous year's result reversed with blades being awarded ensuring that the stay in the 2nd division only lasted one day.

The disappointment of missing blades on the final day was soon forgotten as the 1st VIII qualified to race in the Temple Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta.

Codebreaker and Computer Scientist Alan Turing (KC 1931) was an active member of the boat club throughout his university career.

"[3] In the same year, in which he received only a second class in his exams, he wrote to Mr and Mrs Morcam, saying: “I suppose you saw that I had only got a 2nd in 1st part of Maths.

In 1934, he was the first reserve for the Second VIII, although he could not row as the May Bumps conflicted with his finals, and his father was in hospital.

He (66 kg) replaced William Colles (83 kg)[6] at five seat in the men's second VIII after Colles was injured in a brawl; the captain's log from that bumps campaign notes that on Day 3 they caught St Catharine’s IV just before the gut, and on day 4 “made short work of Peterhouse III just before the ditch.”[7] This crew bumped on every day of the campaign, earning blades, one of which is currently on display in the Museum at Bletchley Park.

Turing's presence in the boat club beyond simply on the water is noted by Denis Williams, a university friend, who writes: “Alan Turing was a year or so my senior at Cambridge and I think it was as members of the Boat Club that we first made each other’s acquaintance.

Alan’s close friends were among the intellectuals, but I believe that a sport that demands the maximum of exertion held a natural attraction for him and there was a sterling quality about him which gained respect in any company….

.”[8] Williams furthers his observations with an anecdote: “…I remember he once achieved a certain distinction by swallowing a pint (of beer) in one draught.

This, he maintained, could not be done with water because the attempt made one disgusted with oneself.”[9] Turing himself credited his work on the Riemann Hypothesis to rowing for KCBC, a conjecture to which he introduced a number of important ideas.

When the bumps were reorganised in 1990, the QMABC 1st women's VIII started and maintained a position in the 2nd division.