Harvard Coach Harry Parker rationalized the University of Pennsylvania's six-second victory on the Charles River Saturday: "They were awfully strong."

Penn showed enough strength to row away from charging Harvard and Navy crews over the second half of the 51st annual Adams Cup race. In doing so, the Quakers established themselves as an early Eastern Sprints favorite along with Yale--the only crew to beat the Quakers this season.

The loss--Harvard's first of the year--cast question marks on a season that had seemed extremely promising after early wins at Brown and Princeton.

The biggest question is whether the oarsmen can make enough adjustments in the next three weeks (before an Eastern Sprints rematch with Penn) to beat a boat that simply outraced them Saturday.

The three crews were essentially even at the start, but as they settled into their racing cadences, Penn muscled its way to a small lead over the second-place Midshipmen. Harvard remained in its traditional early-race position--just in back of the pack but within striking range.

At 800 meters, when the Crimson rowed through Navy in a matter of a dozen strokes and set its sights on Penn, it appeared that the early race positioning might pay off.

Unfortunately, nobody reminded the Quakers that they were supposed to get tired. And when the Crimson's power move after the Mass. Ave. Bridge failed to close the length separating the two boats, it was evident that the day was Penn's.

The eight from Philadelphia crossed the line in 5:44.9.

Over the last 300 meters, Harvard had to worry about holding off a charging Navy boat. Both the Crimson and Midshipmen eventually finished in 5:50.4.

Penn Strategy

The Penn strategy for the race was based on avoiding last weekend's mistakes: "We got behind Yale at the start last week, and that's why they beat us," Penn six-man Josh Caplin said after the race. "So we knew that we were going to go out real hard for the first thousand.

"We knew if we had a lead, it'd be tough to beat us."

The varsity loss--marking the third consecutive year that the Crimson has failed to win the Adams Cup--cast a pall over a Harvard sweep in the morning's other races.

The junior varsity overcame a shaky start to knock off its competition, finishing in 5:54.1 to Penn's 6:02.2 and Navy's 6:02.7.

The first freshmen held off Navy, 5:54.1 to 5:57. Penn finished in 6:00.3. The second frosh also took home the traditional symbol of a rowing victory--the racing shirts of their competitors.

The oarsmen will have just one more opportunity to test themselves in competition before Sprints, as they face Northeastern on the Charles next weekend.