Harvard Four Wins Tail of Charles

They came. They rowed. Then they made a beeline for Yale, as Harvard crews took on five other teams in the annual Tail of the Charles early Saturday morning.

Unofficial results put the first Harvard varsity four in first place over the field of 13 competitors. The first freshman heavyweight eight also sank their opposition--20 crews in all.

Boston University and Northeastern finished second and third, respectively, in the freshman eights competition, while the second Harvard freshman boat captured fourth place. The other teams in the race were Columbia, Tufts, and MIT--the Yale crew team was noticeably absent from the Harvard waters.

The thirty-five shells left the MIT boathouse at 10-second intervals, venturing two and-a-half miles along the winding Charles River to the finish line at Harvard's Newell Boathouse. The Crimson fielded seven heavyweight and six lightweight teams in all.

The Tail of the Charles, primarily a freshman event, heralds the end of outdoor practice and competition for all levels of crew. The women's Tail of the Charles took place last Saturday.

Winter training will now concentrate on running stadium steps and practicing on the indoor water tanks located in Newell Boathouse. Blocker Meitzen, assistant freshmen heavyweight crew coach, said.

Meitzen called the Tail of the Charles "the single most important novice event of the fall" for freshmen rowers.

"Head races are difficult because you row against an unknown opponent," said Struart Petersen, explaining the race's format. "A lot of these boats have been rowing since August--a full month before us," he added.

Head Crew Coach Harry Parker said the race is perennially a rough indication of how well the team will compete in the spring season with local teams, but not with those from outside the Boston area.

One MIT competitor reportedly fell out of his seat when his oar got snagged on his own boat. The hapless athlete did, however, resume his place, and completed the race.

Despite the weekend's festivities in New Haven, a few spectators lined Anderson or waited for the boats at Newell.

"I came to watch my boyfriend," said Katherine McClew '84. "Besides, the last time I went to Yale it made me sick," she added.