Harvard's lightweight crew engages Princeton and Yale in a battle of the undefeated today over 2000 meters of the Housatonic River in Derby, Conn.

At stake is the Goldthwait Cup-a title that Harvard lightweights have won for 12 consecuive years-and a definite indication of the best lightweight crew in the East. Each of the other Eastern powers-Cornell. M. I. T., Penn and Rutgers-has shown its inferiority by losing at least twice to other Eastern crews.

Harvard whipped Yale by a little more than one boat length and Princeton by about three in the Goldthwait Cup race last year.

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Although both Yale and Princeton will field crews better than any they have in recent years, it is unlikely that either should seriously challenge powerful Harvard. On the basis of results achieved against the same opponents, Harvard is measurably better than both of its opponents today.

Harvard thrashed Navy by about six lengths only one week after Princeton had squeaked by the Midshipmen with a onelength victory. Yale has beaten M. I. T. by a length and Rutgers by three, but Harvard has downed M. I. T. by four, and Rutgers by seven.

A Harvard victory would be the fourth consecutive triumph of the season and the fourteenth consecutive win in intercollegiate competition.

The undefeated junior varsity and freshman lightweight boats should encounter more difficulty than the varsity today. The Princeton junior varsity is also unbeaten and has outdistanced its opponents by margins comparable to the Crimson junior varsity's victory margins.

In a preliminary race, the freshmen face a very strong Princeton boat and a weak Yale boat. Harvard's freshmen did not row last weekend since Navy had no first-year crew.

The Goldthwait Cup race is the only athletic event at Yale this weekend. All other contests were canceled or postponed because Yale officials expected trouble in New Haven, but the lightweight oarsmen were granted the option to row because the site of the race-Derby-is 20 miles from New Haven.