But the Crimson knows that its biggest tests await in May and June, when the heavyweights will look to defend their Eastern Sprints and IRA titles.

Perennial contenders Washington, Princeton, Cal, and Navy will be back in the mix again, all gunning to dethrone the two-time defending champion Harvard boat.

After two open water victories at the national championships, however, the Crimson isn’t about to relinquish hope of a three-peat.

“Any national championship is special,” junior six-seat Brodie Buckland said. “I know that for [Howard] and [Holzapfel] it would be incredible—three years in a row. But for now, you do what you can to go as fast as you can at the end of the season.”

HARVARD LIGHTWEIGHT CREW

On New Year’s Eve this year, the Harvard varsity lightweight crew had reason to celebrate.

The end of 2004 meant one very good thing for the Crimson: in every odd year since 1991, the Harvard lightweights have won the IRAs. And those even years? They haven’t won once.

“Everyone in the league is looking for Harvard to take it [the IRA crown] back because it’s an odd year,” first varsity coxswain Felix Yu said.

The attitude in Newell Boathouse is the same.

Last year’s freshman eight and second varsity eight took home first place at the Eastern Sprint Championships, and the first varsity eight finished second.

“This is a very deep team,” first varsity five seat Marc Luff said. “We’re going to have a very strong crew across the board.”

Earlier this season, the Crimson began 2005 in typical odd-year fashion at CRASH-Bs, the annual indoor rowing championships held at Roxbury Community College.

The event attracts the best rowers from all over the world, and this February, Harvard rowers finished 1-2-3 in the collegiate lightweight division. Senior Dave Stephens finished first, freshman Moritz Hafner followed in second, and sophomore Luff placed third.

The lightweights hope that dominance extends to the water, and the depth of this year’s team makes Harvard legitimate title contenders for each of its varsity and freshman boats.

“We have very fast people at all levels,” Yu said.