Exploding to a half-length lead at the start, Harvard's varsity heavyweight crew swept to a confidence-building length-and-a-half victory over a well-drilled Brown eight in the Stein Cup Regatta Saturday on the Charles.

The win netted the Crimson possession of the Stein Cup for the ninth time in as many years as all three Harvard crews posted impressive victories in the first outing this season.

"It was a very good race," Crimson coach Harry Parker said afterwards. "The crew did a nice job of rowing under real pressure."

Both crews rowed with well-drilled precision and pose through choppy waters, into a stiff quartering headwind, and successfully past a wandering sailor who drifted into the middle of the race course where he was nearly drawn and quartered by a sixteen-blade floating Veg-O-Matic.

In the varsity race, both crews burst from the stake boats at a stroke of 40, but by the time both eights settled down to a 33 cadence the Crimson was in front by half a length and at 700 meters the margin was almost a length.

"Every year they [Harvard] move out on us like that at the start, but I have no complaints," Bruins' coach Vic Michaelson said. "We rowed a very nice race, in fact, this is the best race we've ever rowed against Harvard in a dual meet."

Harvard continued to slowly and confidently move on the Bruins. By 1200 meters the Crimson had open water and by the end of its finishing sprint Harvard had its length-and-a-half margin--6:39.6 to 6:44.5.

"We got most of our lead in the first 500," Parker said. "And then at the end they [Harvard] did a nice job of sprinting."

In the second varsity event, Harvard stroked powerfully to a three-length win over the Bruins, turning in a 6:47.8 clocking as compared to Brown's 7:00.0. In the freshman race, the Yardlings also eased to a three-length margin of victory, overpowering the Bruins with a 7:06.2 time for the 2000 meters, which the Bruins completed in 7:19.1.

Next week the heavyweights will again be in action on the Charles River when they meet MIT and Princeton in the Compton Cup Regatta.