The undefeated Harvard freshman crew rowed probably its toughest race of the year on Saturday, the second-to-last day of the Henley Royal Regatta at Henley-on-Thames, England.

But its only loss of the year came on the last day.

In Saturday's semifinal, the Yardlings soundly defeated the Crimson junior varsity to earn a berth in Sunday's Ladies Challenge Plate two-boat final.

In the final, the freshmen fell to Neptune, a club from Dublin, Ireland, by two-thirds of a length. Harvard led at the start, fell behind by three-quarters of a length at the three-quarter mile mark, then pulled almost even toward the end of the 1-5/16 mile course. Neptune was warned for faulty steering four times, and covered the course in 6:29.

"I had problems with the wind and didn't steer as well as I should have," said the Crimson coxswain, Chauncey Wood. "That affected the set, the run and the effeciency of the boat."

"He's being overly self-critical," said Harvard Coach Ted Washburn, whose team brought its pace up to 40 strokes per minute at the finish, "The whole crew did everything they could, and rowed as well as they ever have before."

In the final of the Grand Challenge Cup, which the Harvard varsity eights won lastyear, Nautilus Rowing Club, the British nationalcrew, defeated the University of Pennsylvania. TheQuakers had upset national champion Wisconsin onSaturday.

The Harvard varsity heavyweight eights did nottravel to Henley this year, after a disappointingregular season record.

A Leverett House crew which made the trip lostits Henley bid in the first round