When invincibles meet, somebody has to give, and this time it was Harvard. For the first time since 1937 the previously invincible Crimson varsity grew lost the Adams Cup to Navy, and finished third behind the Middies and Penn in Saturday afternoon's regatta on the Charles. It was Navy's fourth consecutive victory of the season, and puts Rusty Callow's oarsmen in prominent contention for the U.S. Olympic berth.

The Crimson eight, rowing the mile-and-three-quarter upstream course in per feet racing conditions with a light tall wind, never had a chance to win. Navy, a heavier and smoother boat, led all the way and won easily by two lengths in 8:51.4, 3.4, seconds off the course record. Penn, which had trailed the Crimson through most of the race, caught and passed Harvey Love's rowers in the last 25 strokes, edging them by a quarter of a length in 8:57. The Crimson's time was 8:58.

The Crimson jayvees also lost to Navy, though they finished ahead of the Quaker junior varsity. The only bright spot in the afternoon was the Harvard freshmen's close victory over the Plebes in 8:59-one second off the varsity time. The Plebes finished in 8:59.2, with Penn well back in 9:1.

Navy's jayvees, rowing at 30 through most of the race, never were headed. They went out at the start and increased their lead steadily all the way, finishing in a remarkable jayvee time of 8:51.5.

The Crimson varsity started at a 38, then settled to a 32, where Lou McCagg kept the stroke for most of the race. Navy went out fast at the start, rowed the body of the race at about 31 or 32, sprinting at 36, and winning gong away. The Quakers, a quarter length behind Harvard until the final spurt, rowed at about 32-34 for the body of the race, sprinting at 41.

In the final quarter mile, McCagg put up the stroke to a 34, and then to a 38, but could not close the gap on Navy at all.