It definitely was not one of the more impressive displays of naval prowess. In fact, the midshipmen of Navy would've probably rather been cruising around the Falklands Saturday that rowing on the Charles, "where the Harvard varsity lightweight crew shelled them Harvard varsity lightweight crew shelled them in a display of superior power, technique, and technology.

After the smoke cleared, the undefeated Crimson eight had won the Haines Cup for the 17th time by two lengths of open water (6:16.2), avenging a rare loss at the Naval Academy last year and recapturing the cup from the Middies.

The midshipmen were sunk almost before the race began. They rowed to the starting line in a heavy, wooden Pocock shell better suited for the perpetually rough Severn River in Annapolis. But the Charles early Saturday morning was glass-smooth, and the Crimson oarsmen grabbed an early five-seat lead at the start, rowing at a sharp 42-stroke cadence.

"After that we dropped down to 35 and held it all the way through. At the Mass. Avenue bridge, almost exactly half way, we put on a power 10 sprint to put them away," coxswain Greg Soghikian said yesterday.

"We expected them to give us a closer race because Princeton could only beat them by three-and-a-half seconds," he added.

While it varsity crusted to a virtually uncontested victory, the JV lights sprinted from half a length down with 500 meters to go, prying the pay past the Midshipmen to win by three-a-and-half seconds (6:29.0). JV coxswaine Mike Phillips said the boat got off to a slow start, adding that when Navy faded in the last 500 meters. Harvard muscled its way by. Because Naval plebes are not allowed to travel. Harvard's first freshmen raced-sed-defeated-a crew from the Cambridge Boat Club, trouncing them by 20 seconds.

But the Haines Cup--indeed all Harvard's races thus far this season--was a mere formality. Next week's race in New Haven against Yale and Princeton--the "HYP" race--could well give lightweight rowing fans a glimpse of what to expect at the EARC Sprints in Worcester on May 16.

"Unless something big happens, the winner of the HYP race will win the EARC spring championships. The teams don't have time to make any major changes before the sprints," Soghikian said.

In their first race on the Charles this season, the varsity heavyweights yesterday successfully defended the Compton Cup against Princeton and MIT for the 18th consecutive year.

After a restart because of a jumped Princeton seat, the Crimson eight broke fast to a quarter-length lead, and sliced through the still water to an unexpectedly easy 12 1/2-second victory over second-place Princeton with a time of 6:10.4, 49.6 seconds faster than third-place MIT.

Varsity heavyweight coach Harry Parker praised the crew's performance, nothing. "They rowed an excellent race." He said the boat is "pretty much set" for May 16's Eastern Sprints and the grueling four-mile dual with Yale in June.