"Navy is just plain strong" moaned coach Harvey Love. The scene was the Newell Boathouse and his heavyweight crew had just been soundly beaten by a length and a half in the twenty-fourth Adams Cup race.

With three of the eight members of last year's Olympic team in the shell, the Midshipmen remained unbeaten for the season by stroking the mile and three quarter course in 9:42. Harvard did it in 9:47.4, and Penn, a badly beaten third, finished in 9:55.5.

The Crimson, who had recovered from a defeat by Cornell and Rutgers two weeks ago to win the Compton Cup on the Charles last week, just could not keep even with the powerful Middies, who broke to a half-length lead in the first quarter-mile.

Stroking 42 against a headwind at the start, Navy settled down to 32, about the same as the Crimson, and kept its lead throughout the body of the race. In the final three-quarter mile sprint, Navy went up to 39 and increased its lead to a length and a half over the Crimson.

Love, while admitting the strength of the Navy crew, was incensed over a power boat that had come near the course during the race. Navy's coach Paul Quinn thought the boat did not affect the outcome, saying it was the same for all crews anyway.

In the other races, Harvard's freshman crew won by a length in 8:50, and the JV's finished second in their event, half a length behind the Middies.