By crossing the finish line a scant two feet ahead of the Navy crew, and a length and a half ahead of Harvard, the Penn oarsmen on Saturday duplicated their performance of last year by winning the cup donated by Charles Francis Adams '88. The Quakers were clocked at 8:58.6 over the mile and three quarters course on the Severn River, with the Navy a tenth of a second behind, and Harvard finishing in 9:03.1.

After an almost even start, the Sailors soon held a slight lead, trailed by Harvard and Penn. As they passed the half-way mark, the Quakers slid into the lead, with the Crimson boat considerably in the rear. The leaders alternated for first place on the remaining stretch, and in the last hundred yards both pushed their beat into the 40's, the last smooth sweeps of the Penn crew allowing it to retain its narrowing lead over the checking Navy boat.