Harvard, Radcliffe Crews To Travel To Big Races in England, West Coast

The Eastern Sprints Championship was satisfying to the Harvard lightweight crew, but this month they'll probably be going for even greater glory. Wednesday the crew will be leaving for a two-week intensive training session at Dartmouth in preparation for the Nottingham and Henley Regattas, to be held in England this summer.

Finances Up in the Air

Although finances have not yet been arranged, the lightweight crew has every hope of coming up with the funds to make the trip possible.

The Henley is the class race of rowing. There are no weight classes, no barriers to entry, and no end to the prestige that surrounds this race. Held on the Thames annually, it is a top sports and social event. Henley has three racing divisions, and three championships Harvard will be entered in the Thames Challenge Cup race.

Although Kirkland House is considering entering, Harvard is the only American team definitely competing. The light-weights will be facing English rowing clubs, European champions and Russian crews; the competition is unpredictable.

Confidence

Sophomore Bob Leahey says, "I think we will win. I don't know if I should say that, though, because there is no way to know until the day of the race just who is going to be rowing, or how good they will be." Mac Heller, another sophomore in the boat, also expressed confidence. "The Henley course is a longer race than usual. It's not 2000 meters, but a mile and five-sixteenths. We should be in really good shape after Dartmouth, so we could win."

Prior to the Henley, Harvard will be competing in the Nottingham Regatta, held the last weekend in June. Coach John Higginson will be using the same seating he has used all season. Ed Reynolds at stroke, Todd Howard (7), Leif Soderberg (6), Mac Heller (5), Bob Leahey (4), Peter Huntsman (3), John Kiger (2), and bowman Paul McKenna. Chris Ross will cox.

Eastern Sprints Champ Radcliffe will be sending both an eight and a four to the National Women's Rowing Association Championships, to be held on Lake Merrit in downtown Oakland, Calif., on the weekend of June 14-16.

The Radcliffe eight will be out to defend the national title it won last year, while the four will be shooting for its first national crown.

Both Radcliffe crews will have their work cut out for them. In the fours competition, Radcliffe's toughest foes will be Vesper, last year's champion, and College Boat Club, last year's runner-up.

"The whole crew seems to think we'll be ready to win it," said fours coxswain Amy Sacks.

The eights' main opposition will come from Long Beach, Yale, Washington and Wisconsin.

Both Radcliffe crews will be operating under a couple of severe handicaps. Due to examinations, the crews have had only sporadic practices the last two weeks.

More importantly, Radcliffe won't be able to fly out to Oakland until the afternoon of June 13, one day before the preliminary heats, because of the seniors' graduation. The travel time-lags could play a big factor in Radcliffe's rowing efficiency.

"Because of the problems we'll have to face," says Coach John Baker, "it would be overly optimistic to call us the favorites. But these crews have come through with a lot of clutch performances all year and have never blown the big race. I have lots of faith in them."

The heavyweight crews will also be rowing this month. June 15, the varsity and J.V. heavies will travel to Wisconsin for a head-to-head competition with the University of Wisconsin, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of crew at Wisconsin.

The following week these two crews will be joined by the freshmen heavies for a trip to Seattle. There the three crews will participate in the Washington Invitation Crew Championship, sponsored by the University of Washington.

The last time Harvard met Washington was the 1968 Olympic trials, which Harvard won. This year the race will be a national championship of sorts, since Washington won the Western sprints, and Harvard won the Easterns. There will be other crews competing in this race, none of which Harvard has raced this year with the exception of MIT.