Navy, Princeton, Yale Outstroke Crimson

The honeymoon's over.

The Harvard varsity lightweight crew, previously undefeated in the East, fell to Princeton and Yale Saturday in New Haven, on the Housatonic River.

Rowing in the late afternoon because windy conditions made the scheduled morning competition impossible, the Crimson covered the 2000-meter course in 5-56.1 to the Tigers' 5:50 and the Bulldogs' 5:52.9.

"They're not boats that we can't beat," said stroke James Sheldon, "but we've got a lot of work to do."

Before the Eastern Sprints two weeks hence, the Crimson's work will have to involve discovering why it faded in the second thousand meters of Saturday's contest.

"In the second half, something went out of the race," said sophomore seven-man Chris Wendland, "and I haven't been able to put my finger on a what it way."

In the first half of the race, Princeton and Harvard--which has non lost twice to Yale, at the San Diego Crew Classic and on Saturday--led the Elis, but at 790 meters the Crimson literally took a turn for the worse.

On one of the course's numerous curves, Harvard moved in from the outside lane--an automatic disqualification or time penalty anyway--"then we sort of faded," Sheldon said.

Bearing little resemblance to the crew that had beaten Dartmouth, MIT Coast Guard and Navy Senseless, Harvard watched as both opponents passed by.

A not-especially-powerful sprint exacerbated the fading and gave Princeton an open-water lead on the Crimson.

The Harvard J.V. was move successful in its Tiger-hunting, however, taking a lead over the winding body of its race and then outsprinting Yale, 5:58.2 to 5:59.1.

"I'm very pleased as proud," said coxswain Mike Mollerus, an advanced-standing senior who, like junior oarsmen Peter Herbig, Trip Switzer and Kevin Bedell, had never beaten Princeton."

After a fast start, helped along by the somewhat diminished "roaring failwind," Mollerus's boat countered Yale's and Princeton's flutter's increases in the stroke cadence--with bursts of power that left the Crimson in control.

"Though the body of the race," the cox said, "We were untouchable."

The previously undefeated first freshmen weren't however--the Yardlings finished five seconds behind Princeton. The third varsity edged Yale, and the second frosh likewise downed Princeton.

The Crimson victors now have two weeks to solidify their advantages--neither of Saturday's opponents is getting any slower, after all--while the vanquished varsity sets out for revenge.

"We've got a lot to do between now and then," said Sheldon. "But no one's invincible".

Goldthwait Cup

On the Housatonic River

2000 meters

Lightweight Eights

VARSITY: 1. Princeton 5:50.5, 2. Yale 5:52.9, 3. HARVARD (bow Jett Nickel: 2. Gordon MacLaren: 3. Greg Williams, 4. Pat Bennett; 5. Scott Dlugos; 6. Paul Natterson, 7. Chris Wendland stroke James Sheldon coxswain, Ogan Gurell 5:56.1

SECOND VARSITY 1 HARVARD (bow Kevin Bedell, 2. Larry Meyer; 3. Geoff Emberling, 4. Geoff Binney, 5. Trip Switzer. 6. Dave Berger 7. Chris Raff. Stroke Peter Herbig coxswain Mike Mollerus 5:58.2. 2. Yale 5:59.1. 3. Princeton 6:04.5

THIRD VARSITY 1 HARVARD (bow Geoff Gage 2. Dave Parker 3. Rob Brooks; 4. Chip Brainerd 5. John Lawlor 6. Chris Cherney Dave Schieldrop stroke Fernando Trejo coxswain Peter bach 6:02.0 2. Princeton 6:03.7.3. Yale 6:06.5

FIRST FRESHMEN 1 Princeton 6:00;0. 2 HARVARD (bow Danny Kahn 2. Mike Horvath; 3. Jira Himes 4. Chuck Gregg 5 Wayne Arnold 6 Andrew Hoyt 7 Ker Segel stroke Tom Patterson coxswain Chris Decker 6:05.0 .3 Yale 6:22.2