PRE-RACE TRAINING PLACES ELIOT'S CREW IN THIN LEAD

At present the House crew situation is somewhat jumbled because of the rapid turnover and the improved coaching which some of the Houses have obtained. Eliot, which started the year with a marked advantage, seems to still have an edge on the rest of the eights, because of the large number of crew men in the available roster and because of its proximity to the water.

The rest of the sweepsters are running pretty closely on an equal footing, but Lowell and Leverett have been improving a little faster than have Adams, Dunster, Kirkland, and Winthrop. The difference is slight, and is really a day-today affair.

Better Coaching

All of the crews have been practicing enthusiastically, and there is probably as keen a rivalry this year as there has over been. The coaching staff has been considerably improved and consists of graduate students who have donated their services to each of the Houses. Included in the list of mentors are crew men from Harvard, Yale, and Syracuse.

Tryouts will begin in the next few days and after the racing Season has decided the victors, they will race with the cream of the intramural eights at Yale.

A system of valuable awards is planned this year, and this will probably steam up the competition to a great degree.

The practice in the past has been to use college launches for the coaches of the various House crews, but this year Lowell and Eliot have broken away from the necessity of practicing when the Varsity launches were not in use. So that their crews might be independent of the others and their coaches not forced to ride in the same launch with the instructors of the other Houses, they have obtained their own boats.

Motor Boats

Eliot has an outboard motor boat, and two enterprising Bellboys have purchased an old motorboat that had been ravaged by fire and reconditioned it for the House use.

This has given these two crews on advantage in that they can set their own stroke, and not be hindered by stopping for other eights that are being coached on faults.

Unless plans are changed greatly, some of the better combinations are going to enter themselves in the rowing regatta to be held in the Charles River Basin May 28 which will be high spot in the rowing season for the singles, doubles and intramural eights from the New England area.

Single scullers have their field day May 20 when the Annual Singles Regatta is held from Weld Boathouse. So that all of the 90 single rowers may have a part in the competition, Coach K. Blake Dennison has established classes to accommodate novices, juniors, and seniors in all the boat types, wherries, comps and singles. Entries in the races are now being enrolled at Weld Boathouse.