Harvard Sweeps Big Red Despite Tough Rowing Conditions

The much anticipated rematch between the EARC co-Crews of the Year, Harvard and Cornell, turned out to be rather one-sided.

The No. 3 Crimson men’s heavyweight crew team topped the No. 6 Big Red by 17.9 seconds in the first varsity eight race and completed a Harvard sweep of its EARC rival.

The two squads were among the few who braved the conditions of the Charles on Saturday morning. Several teams, including the Radcliffe heavyweights, originally planned to race on the Charles but moved the location of their races on account of the conditions.

“It was like surf-rowing,” said junior five-seat Mike DiSanto. “It was pretty ridiculous. There was a very strong headwind and waves breaking over the bow ball.”

The conditions were particularly bad in the first varsity eight race, the final event of the day. The wind and whitecaps forced crews to row at lower stroke ratings than usual.

“I think we went down to a 31,” said captain and varsity two-seat Anthony Locke. “We’re usually at a 36. I think we topped off at the start at 37 where we’re usually at a 45. It was such tricky conditions. It was difficult to row well.”

The Crimson took advantage of better water in the second 500 to make its biggest move of the day, granting the squad an insurmountable lead by the halfway point.

“By 1000 meters, we had a full length of open [water],” DiSanto said. “By then, it was pretty hard for them—and for us—to keep going. But we had the advantage.”

“We definitely tried to push on them in the second 1000,” Locke added.

And Harvard continued building its lead throughout the second half of the race to win by nearly 18 seconds. But DiSanto said Cornell may be faster than the results indicate.

“I think their boat was pretty water-logged,” he said. “I think their bow was almost completely submerged by the finish. It was a fun race. Obviously it’s good to win, but you obviously can’t take too much stock in that race.”

The water had worsened over the course of the morning to the point that the first varsity eight race was actually the slowest event of the day. But DiSanto attributed the times in part to the depth of the team.

“I know we are such a deep squad,” he said, “Throughout the season, it won’t be surprising to see the 3V close to the 2V and the 2V close to the varsity. There’s just so much talent. Guys have worked really hard. If one boat doesn’t have a good piece or one boat has a really good piece, they’ll be able to catch the boat [that’s ahead of them]. That’s going to help the squad as a whole get faster...it’ll make sure you’re on your game.”

While the first varsity eight won convincingly, the second and third varsity eights won by much tighter margins, with both boats rallying from starting down.

“I think all the boats had very strong races, particularly the 2V and 3V,” Locke said. “They did a fantastic job”

In the second varsity eight race, the Big Red went a length up early in the race, but the Crimson walked through Cornell’s crew for a 9.3 second win.

“That’s encouraging to hear that the guys stayed relaxed and trusted the coxswain,” DiSanto said.

Harvard’s third varsity eight never had the luxury of a nine-second lead but was able to eke out a 2.2-second win.

“I heard it was a very hard-fought race,” DiSanto said. “It’s great to know guys on your team dug deep on got the victory.”

The freshmen had no such trouble. The freshman eight led off the start and kept moving for a 14.3 second victory.

“The freshmen also had a really good race, which will give them confidence as they get used to college racing,” Locke said. “They have bigger races coming up. It was a good confidence builder for them.”

While the Crimson pulled off the sweep this time, the rowers know of the Big Red’s ability to peak for later races.

“They haven’t spent a lot of time on the water,” Locke said. “We’re expecting them to get quicker and to have much more competitive races.”

While Harvard’s top boats were taking care of business on the Charles, a crew of fourth-varsity and second-freshman boat rowers was dispatching the first varsity eights from the University of Vermon and Tulane University on Malden River in Medford, Mass. The Crimson’s 4V and 2F edged Vermon by 4.1 seconds and dominated Tulane by 34.2 seconds.

—Staff writer Christina C. McClintock can be reached at ccmcclin@fas.harvard.edu.