In what amounted to a tune-up for next weekend's Eastern Championship, Harvard's aquatic machine rolled to a 70-43 victory over once-great Yale Saturday at the Bulldogs' home, the Kiputh Exhibition Pool in New Haven, Conn.

The convincing triumph earned the Crimson at least a share of the Eastern League dual-meet title and marked the eighth Harvard win over Yale in the past nine years. The Elis, winners of 28 league crowns and four national championships between 1939 and 1970, still lead the series between the schools, which began in 1931, 38-10.

No Problems at All

Harvard, now 10-1, controlled the meet from the outset, sweeping the medley relay and the 1000- and 200-yd. freestyle to lead, 23-2, before the Yalies recorded a win of their own.

Head coaches Joe Bernal of Harvard and Frank Keefe juggled their lineups freely to seek additional data to analyze before Wednesday's Easterns scratch meeting.

Mike Coglin, the final star in the Crimson's 4 * 200 freestyle relay which outdueled Princeton in the most dramatic event of last year's Easterns, demonstrated his determination to be a member of that team again this season with his 1:42.20 performance in winning the 200-yd. freestyle.

Coglin, a junior who has won individual gold medals at the Easterns in each of his first two seasons, has been slightly overshadowed this season by the brilliant swimming of his teammates, especially the freshmen.

"I went into the 200 with the idea of establishing for myself a position on the 800 relay team," Coglin said yesterday. "That team has a damn good chance of making All-American [top 12 at the NCAAs] and I want to be on it when it does."

Freshman Ted Chappell, himself a solid candidate for a spot on that relay, came through with another fine performance Saturday, this time in the 1000-yd. free. He negative-split a 9:20.98 (4:42 on the first 500, 4:38 on the second), which would have earned him a Kiputh Pool record if teammate Bobby Hackett hadn't nudged him out in 9:19.98.

Captain Stands Out

However, it was team co-captain Ned Cahoon's leadoff leg in the 400 free relay which stands out as the Crimson highlight of the meet. Cahoon broke the 48-second barrier for the first time in his life, clocking 47.6 for his 100-yd. sprint.

"I had tightened up pretty badly in the 100 earlier (in the 100 free individual event), so I was trying to concentrate on pushing back farther instead of increasing my turnover on the third and fourth laps," Cahoon said later. "I didn't think I'd done that well until I looked up at the scoreboard and saw the times.

Dan Menichella, Pat Jakobsen and Rick Kirk also recorded season or lifetime bests. Menichella's 200-yd butterfly (1:54.4) and medly fly relay split (51.0) are close to what he did at Easterns last year. Jakobsen's 2:11.76 in the 200 breaststroke and Kirk's relay swim (47.3) anchoring the victorious medly were career best times.