Race Time: 5:30 p.m.

Harvard's varsity heavyweight crew faces its first real challenge of the new season when it takes on Princeton and M.I.T. in defense of the Compton Cup this afternoon.

It will be the Crimson heavies' only appearance on the Charles River this year.

It should be mainly a two-boat race with Princeton providing the only tough competition and M.I.T. playing its usual role as the Charles River's resident patsy.

Rated by Crimson Coach Harry Parker as "one of the strongest crews around. Princeton got off to an impressive start this season by rolling over Rutgers, Northeastern and Navy before losing by only three-quarters of a length to perennially powerful Pennsylvania. An experienced boat, all but one of the Tiger starters is a returning veteran from last year's crew, which finished third in the Intercollegiate Rowing Association.

Harvard began its season on an emphatic note also, as it stroked to an 11.3 second victory over Brown and a 15.3 second margin over Rutgers last weekend.

Garbage-Scattered

But the race on the windy, garbage-scattered Seekonk River in Providence was no true indication of the Crimson's ability to row under normal racing conditions.

"It was more of a test of how well we handlded the bad conditions than of how well we moved the boat," Parker said. Critics will be watching today's race for an answer to this more important question which has crucial implications for next week's race against Penn.

Parker will make only one change in the lineup which rowed last week. Junior Pete Rogers will be at Number four in place of Ed Porter. "Pete rowed well in practice this week, and we wanted to give him some varsity experience," Parker said.

34 in a Row

Harvard will be seeking its 34th consecutive intercollegiate victory and its seventh straight Compton Cup win when it starts the 2000 meters today.

The race will start below the M.I.T. sailing basin, and end between the M.I.T. and Boston University boathouses. The Mass Ave. Bridge or the finish line will probably provide the best vantage points for spectators.

Lightweights

Harvard's undefeated varsity light-weight crew races navy today in Annapolis. Hoping for its third victory of the season, the lights will be defending their claim to the Haines Memorial Cup, a trophy the Crimson has yet to lose in the 11 years of the competition's existence.

The lightweights produced a strong performance in edging a good M.I.T. boat by 4.2 seconds to win the Biglin Bowl last week. They trounced Columbia by 19.8 seconds for their first win of the season.