After getting off to a poor start, the University 150-pound crew quickly settled down to a long, smooth stroke and won a decisive victory over the Princeton and Yale 150-pound boats on the Housatonic at Derby Saturday. The time of the winning Crimson shell was seven minutes and 25 seconds for the Henley distance of one and five-sixteenths miles. Princeton was a little less than two lengths behind the University, rowing the course in seven minutes and 29 seconds, while Yale followed a length behind Princeton.

Crimson Shell Loses At Start

The University was left half a length behind at the start of the race when no one in the Crimson shell heard the referee order the crews to row. The Crimson had the lane of the course farthest from the referee's launch, and was jockeying into position when the crews were sent away. Princeton and Yale had put in about five strokes before the Crimson blades caught the water, but Merrill kept his crew spurting till he caught Princeton, which had taken a half-length lead on Yale at the start.

Shells Match Stroke For Stroke

Merrill was content with rowing stroke for stroke with Princeton down the course. Both crews held the beat at a steady thirty-two, with Harvard pulling gradually ahead of Princeton and Yale slipping back. Nearing the one and one-quarter mile mark Harper called for the final spurt and open water began to show between the two leading shells. As the finish line was reached. Merrill's crew was fast drawing away.

The 150-pound event was the third of a program out of four, and Yale showed a decided superiority over Princeton and Cornell. The first Yale crew in winning from Cornell by only six seconds had the smallest margin of victory. This perhaps might be called a low-water mark in Yale rowing in recent years, for usually Yale leads her rivals by a greater margin. It must be taken into consideration, however, that Spock, the number seven man of the Olympic crew, was forced out of the boat earlier in the week with a sprained ankle, and that his place was taken by the regular bow oar.

Yale's time for the feature race was 11 minutes and six seconds for two miles. The University crew in its regatta last week, negotiated the one and three-quarters in nine minutes and 11 seconds. Conceding that the Crimson could have rowed the extra quarter-mile in one minute and 25 seconds, a very conservative estimate, this would give Harvard a thirty-second comparative advantage over Yale for the two miles.