While two Harvard crew teams left Friday to compete in England's annual Henley Royal Regatta, last year's winners, the varsity heavyweight eights, are not likely to compete in the world's premier rowing competition following a relatively poor season.

The undefeated freshman heavies and the junior varsity crew will race in the Ladies Challenge Cup, the second most important contest of the regatta at Henley-on-Thames, said Jeffrey Clay, assistant freshman coach.

Last year, the mens varsity won the Grand Challenge Cup, the top race in the Regatta, after a stupendous racing season, which included a national championship. Harvard copped the cup for the first time in 25 years by defeating Princeton in the finals.

But this spring the Crimson's top eight had a lackluster year compared to their usual success and Clay said that the varsity is unlikely to send an eight to Henley.

Varsity coach Harry Parker is considering entering a four in the Regatta which runs from July 3 to July 6, Clay said, adding that the varsity is unlikely to send an eight. Parker was unavailable for comment.

The varsity's spring was characterized by a series of ups and downs. Earlier this year they dropped the eastern sprints to the University of Pennsylvania and were seeded third behind Penn and Yale in the Eastern Athletic Rowing Conference.

But Harvard avenged its falling behind archrival Yale when the varsity won the annual race between the two crews, with a strong 16 second victory in rainy weather earlier this month.

After the national sprints a week later Harvard was ranked fourth in the nation behind national champions Wisconsin, Brown, and Penn.

The freshman and junior varsity, however, captured a victory last week which may proclaim them the strongest and second strongest crews of their level in the nation.

The two crews went head to head in the finals of the Empire State Regatta in Albany, N.Y. and the freshman team won the title. They will train together in England until the Henley races.

"We're a strong crew," Clay said, but he added that the "European competition is tough."