Bettering its Thursday clocking by over 18 seconds, the Varsity crew again outrowed the Jayvees in the Basin on Saturday morning finishing the 1 3-4 mile course in 9 minutes, 12 seconds. The seconds, trailing by two lengths, were timed at 9 minutes, 16 seconds.
Starting under conditions as fast as any that have been encountered this year, the Jayvee shell took an early lead from the Varsity, but was soon overtaken, and remained a length behind as far as the Harvard Bridge, where the Varsity placed a comfortable sheet of open water, now rough, behind it. The effectiveness of what would otherwise have been a fine Jayvee spurt at the finish was spoiled through the unaccountable disappearance of the coxswain's whistle. It is rumored that the Varsity crew was responsible for its removal.
1930 Stern Nucleus Intact
Except for the week of Bacon's illness, the stern four nucleus of the great 1930 Freshman crew have been kept intact, and there are still eight powerful oarsmen in the Varsity shell. Their rowing, however, has been rough, tense, and nervous, and a certain amount of checking and dousing has been the result. It is too easy to see that there is plenty of power in the boat; there is lost that smoothness and fineness of oarsmanship which made the former Freshman boat move almost effortlessly, and which gave the observer the impression that it possessed almost limitless hidden power that could be used whenever the occasion arose. Now, there is no time during a paddle when there is relaxation and freedom in the oarsmen's swing.
In Saturday's time trial, however, marked improvement was shown by the Varsity. The dousing was not so bad as usual, and the checking was moderate. When the sprint was called for a the Harvard Bridge, power was available for it. There should be little to hamper the progress of both crews from now on, and, if present indications are prophetic, they will make a better showing next Saturday against Navy and Penn than they did against Princeton and M.I.T. two weeks ago.
After Saturday's heat, the Varsity will immediately devote its attention to the four-mile row at New London, which will come on June 16 this year, a week earlier than usual. Smoothness and reserve power are of much more importance in a four-mile than in a two-mile race, and longer workouts will be required.
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Helmholz 1936 Tennis Captain