Varsity Boat Shows Tigers Open Water

Harvard's Varsity crew stands at the top of the East's rowing ladder, at least for the time being. By virtue of an open-water victory over the previously undefeated Princeton eight in Saturday's Compton Cup Regatta, the Tom Bolles special proved that it is at least the equal of its immediate predecessors and established itself as the leading eight in this part of the country.

Two other factors contributed to the Crimson's present supremacy, both upsets. Mighty Cornell, the only crew to best Harvard in the last two years, was scuttled by the Navy, and Yale, whose sprint record is usually unblemished, finished an humiliating third on the Schuylkill's muddy waters.

Varsity Has Magic Number

Thirty-two seems to be the key to Crimson victories. In Saturday's race it was not until stroke Colton Wagner raised the beat to 32 that the Crimson pulled ahead, and in last Monday's race Harvard did not step out in front until Wag lowered the stroke from 34 to 32.

For the first half mile of Saturday's main event, the varsities of Harvard, Tech, and Princeton skimmed into a slight head wind prow for prow. Up until the Harvard Bridge Wagner was understroking the opposition and keeping up with them, but soon after Wag's boat got swinging at the payoff number, and the race was all over. With half a mile to go the Varsity shot the beat up to 34 for practice and went over the line at 37 in 9:22.8. Princeton was timed exactly five seconds later, and Tech finished eleven seconds behind the Tigers.

Fifties Stage Another Thriller

By far the most exciting race of the afternoon was that staged by the Varsity 150's. Cornell's lightweight eight went out in front first by putting on the pressure early, then faded badly in the last half mile under the withering pace set by the Tech and Crimson fifties. At Harvard Bridge Johnny Abbot's boat had a quarter-length on the Engineers, but as the two shells came into the finish stroke for stroke the gray-bladed sweeps hit the water last and thrust the M. I. T. boat across the line first, a winner by a scant two feet.

Bus Curwen's Junior Varsity won as it pleased, although Princeton presented considerable opposition for the first three-quarters of a mile. Tech's smooth Freshmen took the measure of Harvey Loves' charges for the second time in a week, although the Yardlings gained some solace from beating Princeton. Previously an unknown quantity, the '44 fifties showed that they had too much for either Cornell or Tech, beating both handily.