By the time the Harvard 1V lightweights reached the Riverside Boat Club, the crew already held over a half-second lead on the USRowing eight, the team that Harvard fell to at last year’s Head of the Charles Regatta.

From that point on, the Crimson only extended its lead, ultimately finishing 12 seconds ahead with a time of 14:35.

“[It was] a huge win for the team,” said junior seven-seat Michael Wales. “We packed it in around the big turn, and burned down the last 500.”

By the time the crews had reached the Cambridge Boat Club, Harvard held nearly nine seconds on the USRowing eight. While the national team maintained a fast and strong stroke rate, the Crimson’s steady pace allowed it to keep increasing the size of its lead.

Princeton came in third place behind Harvard and USRowing with a time of 14:58, over three boat lengths behind the Crimson.

“It was a great piece—really aggressive and a big win for our program,” said senior three-seat Erich Schultze. “We know how tough the league we’re in is, though. If we’re still this same speed come March, they’ll make us pay. We’ve got to build off this and keep getting faster.”

Harvard’s second varsity lightweight boat also competed in the race, finishing in 13th place with a time of 15:29.

During Saturday’s club eight race, the first freshman lightweight eight finished in 12th place, two spots behind the second freshman heavyweight eight. The lightweight club four finished in the middle of the pack of 55 competitors in 26th place.

“We expect nothing but our best every day, and we showed that this afternoon,” said senior Austin Meyer, four seat of the first varsity eight. “It’s a great beginning to our year.”