The Crimson rowing season opens officially today with four lightweight races on the Charles River, starting at 4:30 p.m. M.I.T., Dartmouth, Tabor Academy and Harvard crews will compete.

Derrick Wilde's strong 150-pound Crimson varsity rates an excellent chance to defeat M.I.T. in a two-boat race at 6 p.m. The lightweight oarsmen covered the Henley distance of one mile and five-sixteenths in six minutes and 48 seconds.

The Crimson junior varsity will also race M.I.T. only, at 5:30 p.m. Its chances against Tech are less sure than are the varsity's. The outcome will depend on Tech's depth in the 150-pound ranks. The freshman lightweights will race M.I.T. and Tabor Academy at 5 p.m. and the second '59 boats will meet Tech and Dartmouth at 4:30 p.m.

The Crimson Boatings:

Varsity--Tom Sheffield, bow; Larry Coolidge, two; Dick Timpson, three; George Krumbhaar, four; Bill Alcorn, five; Dave Sutherland, six; Viggo Bertelsen, seven; Bob Foley, stroke, John Powell, cox.

Junior Varsity--

Barry Bingham, bow; Jack Henshaw, two; Peter Nitze, three; Erik Oddleifson, four; Bob Tyler, five; Hal Smith, six; Bob Volpe, seven, John Hadik, stroke.

Freshmen--

Mark Earle, bow; Bill Leatherby, two; John Noble, three; Hugh MacMahon, four; David Davidson, five; Lloyd McKeeman, six; John Wunderlich, seven; Mike Adair, stroke; Vic March, cox.