Crimson Shells Show Tigers Open Water

Rowing with a length and smoothness which more than overcame the higher pace set by their opponents, the oarsmen who make up the Varsity eight left little doubt in the minds of anyone as to their superiority when they swept to a decisive two-length victory over Princeton Saturday, leaving Cornell and Syracuse still further astern on the Charles' ruffled waters. After the first quarter-mile the Crimson swung down the course in its own unruffled way, leaving the Tigers and the Big Red to fight it out for second place in the only close finish of the afternoon.

The Harvard Junior Varsity also concluded its sprint season undefeated, as it registered a length and a quarter victory over Cornell, with Syracuse a very poor last.

Syracuse, however, took some the laurels from the Crimson when the Orange freshmen posted a one length victory over the Yardlings in the opening race of the afternoon.

In the Varsity race Syracuse shot into a temporary lead at the start when their stroke hiked the beat up very high as the four crews pulled away from the stakeboats. At the quarter, though, the prow of the Crimson Peacock shell was out in front, and it stayed there for the rest of the mile and three-quarters.

Bus Curwen, in his second appearance as Varsity stroke, dropped the beat to 31 and with his whole crew swinging in perfect precision behind him, the Harvard eight drew rapidly away from the rest of the fleet. The Crimson had over a length on Princeton at the bridge and at the finish Captain Sherm Gray's boat was timed in 9:23, over two lengths ahead of the Orange and Black.

Jayvee Easy Winners

At the start of the Jayvee race Cornell pressed a momentary advantage, but the story was the same as with the Varsity. By the half-mile mark the Crimson crew, stroked by Colton Wagner, was out in front by a safe margin, and Wag kept the beat at a steady 31 most of the way to the finish, where the timers clocked the Jayvees in 9:31:6. Cornell was a length back and Syracuse over five.

Harvey Love's Freshmen have yet to win a race. Syracuse jumped to a quarter length lead at the end of fifteen strokes and then increased their margin down the course, finishing just over a length in front of the Yardlings. Cornell was third and Princeton last.

A week ago at Annapolis the Varsity covered the same distance 59 seconds quicker than Saturday. While the conditions were worse at Navy than on the Charles, the wind and tide were both favorable on the Severn. Saturday the breeze came in stinging gusts out of the North, setting up a cross chop which made fast times an impossibility.

Princeton was so eager to get another crack at Harvard that each oarsman paid his own way up to Cambridge. As it was, the Varsity beat the Tigers by three-quarters of a length more than on their first meeting. Cornell's big eight, the "biggest" in the East, looked a lot smoother than the Tigers, but it never came anywhere near upsetting Harvard as the two crews before it have done. Harvey Love finds himself in an embarrassing position. For years his crews have gone to New London undefeated, but the 1944 edition will move to Red Top without having won a race.