New-York tribune., 1906-06-28
RIVAL CREWS READY.
CLOSE RACES PROMISED
Big Croacd Gathering at Ne1e Lon
don for YGle-HaiUard Regatta.
TBy Telegraph to The Tribune. ]


morrow. The long months of training are over
and the men are waiting anxiously for the
! crack of the pistol which will send them off on
| the long gruelling test. All the men are said
TO be in the best physical condition.
Not for many years has more optimistic ex-
pectation of victory prevailed at both the Har
ward and Yale quarters than in evidence
tonight Both the Harvard and Yale varsity
crews pronounced stronger aggregations
than last year. and even the most partisan sup
porters of either university admit that the re-
suit of the great of tomorrow cannot be
/ predetermined with any chance of selecting the
winner
Harvard's feeling of confidence has had set
| back by the report that the Yale crew had COW
/ cred the of four miles in 1927, a new
/ record.
At meeting of the varsity captains late this
! afternoon Harvard won the toss for position
! in the varsity and four-oared races, and chose
the west course for the varsity and the east
course for the four-oared race. Yale won the
toss for the freshman race, and selected the
east lane. This means that Harvard may have
a slight advantage of the tide, in the varsity
race, which viii be rowed o'clock in the
afternoon full tide.
Everything is in readiness for the races, and
the indications are that the observation trains
VIII carry more persons up and down the course
/
crowd arrived during the afternoon and even
ing and took up all the accommodations availa-
BILE in town, a condition which has not existed
in some years This indicative of the gen
eral interest. Supporters of the Crimson came
here in the belief that their crews were going
sweep the river, while the Yale men were
firm in their belief that history would repeat
itself, and that the Blue cared boats would
again be TO the front at the finish
hara TO
night the marine spectacle in the harbor
where scores of yachts showed their anchor
lights both above and below the drawbridge
The Indian Earbor Yacht Club, OF Greenwich
finished its cruise in this harbor, including
among its fleet many Of the big single 'tickers
and the Eastern Yacht Club will start out on
cruise to the eastward Saturday noon. Many
steam yachts also In the feet at anchor.
In the streets of this old town tonight there
were many lively scenes as Harvard and Yale
men fraternized and discussed the prospects foy
victory for their respective universities to-
/ morrow.
The weatherwise predict clear skies. moderate
breezes and smooth water for the races, which
II expectations are fulfilled means that both
| crews likely to row close to the record. The
fact that the time trials have been so fast mys-
tines the rowing experts and makes the out
come of the varsity race matter Of specula-
]
two weeks ago while Harvard made the course
! in 20;02 10 a few days ago. under conditions
which were considered more than ordinaraily
favorable. Whether the time is fast or slow to-
morrow, it is the belief of both Yale and Har-
ward that the varsity race will be fully
as interesting any that has ever been rowed
over the Thames course.
The Yale and Harvard crews did just enough
work to-day 10 keep their minds occupied and
TO prevent them from thinking too hard about
the races tomorrow. In the morning the Har-
ward men were out practising starts, with Guy
Richards. the referee of the regatta. firing the
pistol Yale did not interfere with this pleasant
pastime on the part of the Crimson oarsmen,
but waited until the afternoon for their work
from the mark
The Harvard crews under the influence of
some real betting, have receded from the posi-
tion OF faVOrtes. The odds on Harvard quoted
for week or so have been recognized as false,
and mooney is the prevailing price.
No big bets have been recorded although word
reached here this evening that & Harvard
alumnus in Boston had wagered $1,000 against
Sl.S00 on the Crimson eight for the varsity
The general opinion seems TO be that
Harvard may win the freshman and four-oared
races, but that there viii be trouble for Wray's
men to carry off the varsity. which is the chief
event OF the regatta, No one has had the
temerty 10 offer a wager that either Yale or
Harvard will win all three races. There is no
Cornell over on the Thames said Yale man
to-day.
report that all the in the best of shape, |
although Harvard bewails the loss of Cutler the !
John Kennedy. the veteran coach of Yale. said /
tonight, in speaking CT the race:
I look for a great race tomorrow. Unques- /
tionably Harvard has a better crew than she (
had last year. one year ago I said that Harvard ,
had q fine crew and would give US hard race /
With Harvard having & better crew than she !
had last year. one may Judge for ones self what /
] think OF the race tomorrow. The figures that !
have been given out Yales trial of 1927. the !
day that Harvard came TO the Thames River. !
were correct. I will say that !; appears TO me /
that shall see a wonderfully close and finely !
contested race tomorrow afternoon.
James wray. the Harvard coach, said: ]
feel certain that to-morrow's race will be ,
close. We have a better crew than We had a |
year go. Up the river they say that they have
a fast crew. All l want 10 say is that we will be /
ready and viii give Yale q hard race. There is J
no necessity for saving anything more Time !
do n0t mean great deal. since they are .
always under different conditions. l am conf
dent that the Harvard crew Will row q good race /
tomorrow.
The programme for the regatta includes three
events-the twO-nlile varsity four-oared race
the two-mile race for freshman elghts and the
final and big even; Of the day, the varsity four
mile race
The freshmen will race first starting at 10 .
m. AT the railroad bridge and rowing upstream.
hnishlng Al the navy yard. Immediately a. the
close OF this contest the four crepys will
line up and race back downstream to the rail-
road bridge. The varsity race win be rowed al
?. m downstream and VIII also end at the
Yale and Harvard have been meeting on the
water for half century. The first race was
roHed on Lake Winnipesa ukee in 1852 when the
distance was two miles. The Harvard and Yale
students Of that date took as much pride and
interest in that first aquatic battle as the under
gradutes OF to-day do in the annual New London
regatta The race OF half century ago was
crude. but il betltted the times. and in propor-
tion created as much excitement and interest as
do the more strenuous modern struggles At
any rate II marked the beginning of what has
.1T4rrf 81 sr,F,. 1fe, It'd