The Brown heavyweght crew team's arrival on the banks of the Charles today would normally elicit a yawn from the Harvard squad and the loyalists who line the River every weekend. According to the record, the Stein Cup, up for grabs today, has been the exclusive property of the Crimson for the past 18 years.

But history can be deceiving. Brown has come on strong this year and is expected to give Harvard all it can handle in today's race.

Part of the reason stems from the Bruins' performance last weekend. In a Saturday race the Brown varsity eight set a course record on the Seekonk River in swamping Boston University by seven seconds. The encore came Sunday, when the upstart Bruins bested Yale by two-thirds of a boat length.

The Elis, picked by insiders to dominate Eastern crew this spring, hadn't lost to anyone in two years, not including the results of the pre-season tune up San Diego Classic. Harvard hasn't beaten the Yale heavies since June 1980.

Second-year Bruin coach Steve Gladstone has had something to do with the team's sudden success. With 13 years of college crew coaching experience, Gladstone brings as impressive 76-13 record into this season, including four undefeated seasons guiding the Crimson lightweights in the mid-1970s. In addition, the Bruins boast six veterans in their boat, not counting their captain and number-three man, Chris Ravenscroft.

No that Harvard is intimidated.

"We expect Brown to be very, very fast but we think we have as good a chance of winning as them," senior captain Campbell Rogers said yesterday. Victors in their season opener last Saturday against Northeastern, the Crimson boat features veteran Andy Sudduth at stroke and seniors Michael Ryan, Paul Jeffrey and Rogers from last year's varsity eight.

While the heavies try to counter the Bruins challenge, the Harvard lightweights should be busy fighting off Dartmouth and MIT. The Engineers, who last won this race four years ago, lost to Yale last weekend by five seats but should provide stiffer competition than Dartmouth.

Two years ago a sudden squall on the water swamped Dartmouth's boat near the starting line in this race, and when last heard of, their program was still floundering.