It's much easier to reach Newell now than at anytime. You merely take the shortest route and venture across the the Charles, which is shorter in yardage, but it is questionable whether the impromptu hockey game which rage over its frozen surface are less of a hazard to navigation than the traffic over the Andreson bridge.

But despite its icy exterior, the boat-house is a beehive of activity within, and already plans are being made for May 23, the day when Tom Bolles and company hope to make it seven straight over the Elis.

A good deal of rebuilding is necessary, though, for graduation and the war have shot away the entire bow half of last year's undefeated eight. Bruce Pirnie, bow; Sam Goddard, 3; and Captain Sherm Gray, 4; all left via the diploma route, and number 2 man, Paul Pennoyer, is departing to join the Naval Reserve.

But the powerful stern four of last June's mighty eight is still available, and apparently will remain so for the rest of the season, although of course that is no guarantee at all that they will occupy the same positions, or even be on the same boat as last year. There is always competition enough to keep all Varsity aspirants on their toes, no matter what their past record.

In addition to Pennoyer, the only other unexpected casualties are Fred Horter, now in Medical School, and Norman Bacon, so that the task of finding an adequate first boat should not be hard.

Last year's crew, Bolles has admitted, was faster than any other Harvard boat he ever coached, and if anyone is qualified to make such a statement, it is he. As a matter of fact, Bolles thinks that the 1941- Curwen-stroked Varsity would leave some of the Spike Chaoe specials of yesteryear astern by a good length and a half over a mile and three-quarters course.

Every time he holds a time trial, the Varsity mentor notes the stroke rowed, the conditions of wind and water, and then, by checking back over similar performances in years past, he can make his judgments accurately.

That this same eight set only one record last year, at Annapolis in a minor sort of hurricane, is due to the fact that there was not a single good Saturday's racing weather all last spring, which prevented the 1941 boat from gaining more recognition. Even a phenomenal crew cannot break records if the conditions are against it.