After 500 meters Harvard had edged out to a tenuous four-seat margin. Navy, on the other hand, decided to temporarily disband its racing efforts and began engaging in a little naval warfare with the Dartmouth crew in the adjacent lane.

After the Middies' coxswain got his rudder back in gear, the yellow and blue shirts took off after the Crimson clan, and by the 1200-meter mark Navy was only a deck down.

That margin was maintained for the final 800 meters as Harvard sneaked under the yellow winners' flag a half-second ahead of the gents from Annapolis. The winning time was 6:00.8.

Coach Survives

Coach John Higginson survived heart failure to comment on the races. "I was surprised at how fast Navy was. They were a much different crew from two weeks ago," he said.

"It was all very exciting, and I was delighted we were able to meet the challenges thrown at us. It go a little too close for me, however," he said.

Close indeed, when the final tallies had been added up. Coach Higginson's men had won the Jope Cup (for the overall lightweight performance) for the eighth consecutive year, five of which have been sweeps.