Princeton, although finishing second behind M.I.T., beat the varsity and Yale lightweight crews Saturday in the Basin to retain the Goldthwait Cup, symbolic of the Big Three supremacy. Tech, which does not compete for the cup, covered the mile and 5-16 of rain and choppy water in 6:55.2.

Racing conditions were so bad that the Princeton freshman boat, somewhat hindered by a ripped bow canvas sank after the finish of the race. The oarsmen were picked up by several launches. In that race waves surged past the bows of the shells, splashing the oarsmen in all four boats.

The Tigers finished a quarter-length back in 6:56.5, while the Crimson was another length behind. Yale was four lengths back in last place. Crimson time was 7:03, Yale's was 7:15.

Crimson shells dominated the rest of the afternoon, however, as both the Yardling and Junior Varsity 155s and the third varsity heavies won their races.

Tech and Yale broke out in front at the start of the varsity race, but Princeton soon moved up to challenge the Engineers as the Elis fell back at the half-mile mark. The Crimson got off to another sluggish start and by the three-quarter mile marker there was open water between the Tech and varsity shells.

Rowing at a steady 32, the Engineers under-stroked both Princeton and the Crimson at the half-way point. The varsity began its usual victory spring just past the mile marker at Smith House, where Tech stroke Valdemar Skov raised the M.I.T. stroke slightly. The Crimson pulled to within three-quarters of a length at the beginning of the final sprint as stroke Eric Oddliefson pushed the count to 37, then 39, and finally up to 41 at the finish.

Tech Pulls Away

Skov kept his shell's beat at a smooth 38 as the other crews began to show the strain. The Engineers were pulling away at the finish.

The weather was bad for the varsity race, but worse for the first two events, as the freshman and jayvee eights both took their third straight. The Yardling time was 7:09.9, a full two length finish over second-place Tech, and five seconds better than the winning Jayvee time. Yale was three behind, and Princeton barely finished, another five lengths back.