Students and visitors expecting a wild weekend for the Head of the Charles Regatta will instead encounter tight security.

The Head of the Charles, which has attracted as many as 200,000 spectators to Cambridge and Harvard Square, is the largest regatta in the world.

Head of the Charles traditionally motivates the police to authorize some of the tightest security of the year, and this year is no exception.

The gates to Harvard Yard and to the houses will be locked at 4 p.m. this afternoon and will reopen at 2 a.m. tomorrow. The river houses will close again from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow.

The only gates open to the Yard will be Johnston, Thayer and Lamont, police said.

In addition, each student is permitted only one guest for the weekend, who must be preregistered with the police and accompanied by a student to enter the Yard and Harvard's houses.

Harvard students should also expect to be asked to present identification when they attempt to enter the Yard or one of the houses, police said.

Police said they are expecting a large contingent of college and high school students to descend upon the Square, and said the security precautions are intended to keep order on campus.

"It's not too bad during the daytime," said Lawrence J. Murphy, HUPD's coordinator of special operations. "It's Saturday night when you start to get an influx of students from other universities."

According to Murphy, security precautions will not create hassles for students.

"There shouldn't be any lines at all," said Murphy.

"It hasn't been too hectic in past years," Murphy said. "The weather plays a big role in our operations."

Crew Races

Harvard will field about a dozen boats in tomorrow's's regatta.

Captains Edward A. Shergalis '97 and Ryan S. Wise '97 will lead the men's lightweight boat at 1:26 p.m. in the Eights division. The heavyweights, with captain Jonathan P. Feeney '97 in the seven-seat, will race at 3:45 p.m.