The year began on an inauspicious note in the San Diego Classic where Harvard lost to Washington--a team the Crimson beat in 1994. That would be the first sign that things were amiss.

In the following meet against Brown, Harvard's upset shocked everyone and made the front page of the Boston Globe's sports section, as Harvard smoked Brown by more than Three boat lengths.

The favored Brown crew appeared unprepared for the conditions that Harvard captain Elijah White termed "biblical". Brown's two-man, Dave Fillipone, caught a crab, bouncing the flat part of the oar off the water. The crab turned an even race into one in which Harvard suddenly had a better part of a length lead, which the Crimson would extend even more.

But that would be the high point of the year. Harvard then lost to Princeton--for the first time in over 10 years--and Navy. A two-second topping of Northeastern evened Harvard's dual meet record at 2-2 again with Sprints and the Regatta upcoming.

However, those which were so awesome for the light eight were nightmares for the heavies. Harvard finished fifth in Sprints and fourth in the Regatta, with Princeton and Brown winning the meets, respectively. That's not supposed to happen to Harvard heavyweight crew.

It was a not a good year. But in the 136th year of Harvard heavyweight crew, everyone knows that there will be another.