June 10, 2008

SATURDAY'S RACE
Saturday's race marks the 143rd edition of the Yale-Harvard Regatta. The crews first met in 1852, and have competed for the Sexton Cup annually since 1859. On all but five occasions since 1878, the regatta has been held on the Thames River in New London. Three events are scheduled: the two-mile freshman race, three-mile junior varsity race with the F. Valentine Chappell Trophy at stake, and the four-mile Sexton Cup race between the varsity eights. The varsity race is the longest rowing race in the Western hemisphere. A special combination race with boats made up of rowers from the third varsity and second freshman crews will kick off the regatta on Friday afternoon. The winner of the combination race gets the James P. Snider Cup and earns the right to paint its school colors on the rock near the finish line. For the ninth consecutive year, all races will be held upstream.

THE TRADITION CONTINUES
Sports Illustrated named this event the most venerable rivalry in college sports, and its history predates the great football rivalry between the schools by 23 years. Crews from Yale and Harvard first met on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire on August 3, 1852, the first intercollegiate athletic competition of any kind in the United States. Harvard won that first meeting, and has built an 88-54 lead in the series. Harvard's junior varsity holds a 68-37 edge, and the Harvard freshmen are 64-39-1 against Yale. Last year, the Bulldogs claimed the Sexton Cup for the first time since 1999. Yale has only won the varsity race three times since 1985 (1996, 1999, 2007). Yale also won last season's JV race, while Harvard's freshmen claimed victory.

THE 142ND REGATTA
In the second-closest finish in the event's history, Yale snapped a seven-year losing streak against Harvard by claiming a half-second victory in last year's varsity race. Yale crossed the line in 19:57.5, while Harvard registered a time of 19:58.0. The Crimson built an early lead and held an open-water edge midway through, but the Bulldogs slowly chipped away over the final 500 meters, pulling even as the boats neared the finish line. Yale's only lead of the race was at the finish. Yale also reclaimed victory in the junior varsity race by upsetting the heavily favored Harvard crew. The Bulldogs held the advantage for most of the first two miles of the three-mile course, but the Crimson made a big push and built a lead of almost a boat length with a half-mile to go. However, one of Harvard's oarsmen cracked under the pressure with about 400 meters left and the Crimson had to stop dead in the water. Yale surged ahead and pulled away with every remaining stroke, finishing in 15:27, ahead of Harvard's 15:45. It wasn't a clean sweep, however. Harvard led from the start of the freshman race and finished in 10:01.13. The Bulldogs crossed the line in 10:11.69.

BULLDOGS FOURTH AT SPRINTS
Yale's varsity eight entered the Eastern Sprints as the No. 10 seed, but left with a fourth-place finish. The Bulldogs qualified for the Grand Final by edging Harvard for second place in their preliminary heat, relegating the Crimson to the Petite Final for the first time since 1963. Yale clocked a time of 6:17.816 in the Grand Final. Yale's freshmen also finished fourth, while the second varsity was second in the Petite Final.

YALE AT THE IRA NATIONALS
The varsity eight took ninth place at the IRA Nationals last Saturday. The Bulldogs finished third in their opening heat, but qualified for the semifinals by winning their repechage. In the petite final, Yale finished third behind Cornell and Brown. Yale's second varsity took 13th place by winning the third-level final. With a third place finish in the semifinals, the freshman boat was the only Yale crew to qualify for the grand final. The Bulldogs were in medal contention throughout, but finished fourth, two seconds behind Harvard.

SIZING UP THE BOATS
According to the final EARC seeding poll, released on May 13, these are two of the top varsity crews in the country. Harvard is ranked No. 3 in the varsity eights, while Yale is ranked No. 10. Harvard also boasts the top-ranked junior varsity and freshman eights. Yale's junior varsity crew is ranked seventh, while the Bulldogs' freshman eight holds the No. 4 ranking. Harvard is ranked first in the third varsity and second freshman boats, as well, while Yale's crews are ranked seventh and second in those events, respectively.

MOVING ON UP(STREAM)
This year's race will be the 61st heading upstream on the Thames. Harvard holds a 37-23 advantage going in that direction. Harvard also holds a 34-26 edge in downstream races. Yale's win last year was the Bulldogs' first upstream victory since 1984. The Bulldogs have won the last two downstream races, in 1996 and 1999.

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