Highlighted by the Varsity's sparkling performance in winning the Adams Cup for the fifth straight year, and further enhanced by the decisive victories turned in by the Freshman heavies on the Charles and the Jayvee 150's at Princeton, the crew weekend just past must be declared successful.

But the misfortunes suffered by the heavy Jayvees, which bowed to Penn, and the Varsity lightweights, who were four feet behind Princeton and two behind Penn, indicate that Harvard's stranglehold on Eastern rowing is slipping, if only a little.

Elis Flounder

The disastrous deflation of the Eli rowing bubble points to nothing but pleasure for the three heavy crews in their final race at Derby this Saturday. The Yale Varsity, "undefeated" in its one previous engagement, was knocked out of the "highly-touted" class by Princeton and Cornell, both losers to Harvard. In addition, the Blue Freshmen and Jayvees have so far successfully eluded the win column by decisive margins.

Navy never had a chance to show Harvard its highly publicized wares. At the Mass. Avenue Bridge, which the crews reached practically simultaneously, Phil Childs, the Blue and Gold stroke, caught a half-crab and consequently jumped his slide.

Almost Caught Wisconsin

By the time the Middies regained their composure, Harvard was far ahead, but they did a great job in going after and almost catching the high-stroking Wisconsin Badgers, who had plenty of hard cash to back up their optimistic predictions about the races' eventual winner.

Starting at 44, the Crimson dropped quickly to between 31 and 32, and then at the Tech Sailing Pavilion, when the Varsity began to eat ahead, the beat dropped still another point. Bus Curwen kept his sprint under wraps, not going up until the final 30 strokes, and then not over 36.

At Princeton the Varsity 150's had tough sledding. Arbitrarily placed in a rough outside lane, the Crimson dropped behind Princeton and Penn during the first half-mile when the latter were favored with calmer water. From the three quarter mark on the lightweights began to gain, but at the finish were still four feet behind Princeton, with Penn sandwiched second. The Tigers, in taking the Wright Cup from Harvard, shattered the Lake Carnegie Henly mark for the second time this year.

Captain Orrin Wood's Freshman crew powered its way to another lopsided victory, as did Frank Cunningham's second 150's. Penn's heavy Jayvees, stroking high, jumped the Crimson at the start, and held their advantage, winning by a length.