Heavyweights Rip Brown, start Double Sessions

Rowing over a rough and windy Seekonk river course on Saturday. Harvard's heavyweight crew brigade chewed up five host squads from Brown and captured its eighth straight Stein Cup with a two-length victory in the varsity race.

"Our stroke was lower than we wanted it, but after the win there was reasonable optimism in the boat because the row did feel powerful," captain Dave Sawyler said afterward.

The Crimson varsity, after jumping out to a three-quarter length lead at the start, dropped its stroke from an opening 40 to low 32 for the body of the race.

As the crew settled, the Bruinr picked up three seats on the Crimson. It was here at the 500 meter mark that Harvard faced a potential disaster when sophomore Dave Fellows's "Rod Laver autographed model" tennis hat flew from its perch stop the number-seven oarsman and fell onto the slide of stroke Gene LaBarre's seat.

Quick Hands

Quick hands by the coxswain--Dave Weinberg--saved the "R>L>" model and the Harvard victory, as he snatched the lid before LaBarre's seat barrelled down the tracks.

The Crimson recovered from the near catastrophe and promptly moved out to an open water lead at 1200 meters. The margin reached a length-and-a half with 500 meters left and Harry Parker's boys brought it home eight seconds ahead of the Bruins.

"W. weren't really extends but it was good to see the sophomores (Fellows and Steve Carr) row so well and LaBarre do a good job at stroke after not having been at that position in a couple of years," Sawyier said.

Harvard's second varsity boat rolled over the Bruins by five seconds or about a length-and-a-half. The Yardings first and second boat completely outmanned Brown, winning by shopping 20 and 12 second margins.

In a third varsity fours race, the Crimson tripped up Brown by about five lengths.

This week coach Parker plans to put his crew through two-a-day practices--one in the morning and one in the afternoon.