THE BOAT RACES

The annual races between the Harvard and Yale University eights, University four oars and Freshman eights will be rowed at New London on Thursday afternoon, June 26. The Freshman race will be rowed first and will start from Red Top at 2 o'clock, down-stream over the two-mile course to the Navy Yard. The University four-oar race will commence at the Navy Yard immediately after, and will finish at the draw-bridge, two miles farther down. Later in the afternoon, the University eights will race downstream over the four-mile course from Red Top to the drawbridge.

The orders of the crews will probably be as follows:

Harvard University Eight -- Stroke, McGrew; 7, Bancroft; 6, Shuebruk; 5, Ayer; 4, Foster; 3, Bullard; 2, Swift; bow, James; cox., Jackson.

Yale University Eight--Stroke, Bogue; 7, Cross; 6, Kunzig; 5, Weymouth; 4, Judson; 3, Coffin; 2, Daly; bow, Waterman; cox., Byers.

Harvard University Four -- Stroke, Brownell; 3, Francis; 2, Derby; bow, Smith or Gregg; cox., Otis.

Yale University Four--Stroke, Adams; 3, Laws; 2, Levering; bow, Hewitt; cox., Minor.

Harvard Freshman Eight -- Stroke, Richmond; 7, Lawson; 6, Lamson; 5, Mills; 4, Webster; 3, Locke; 2, Tew; bow, Swaim; cox., Chase.

Yale Freshman Eight--Stroke, Blagden; 7, Bailey; 6, Kineon; 5, Bradey; 4, 3, Raymond; 2, Wright; bow, Barnum; cox., Whitehouse.

Criticism of the Harvard Crew.

At the present writing, Harvard has a more promising and a better crew than that of last year, in that it seems able to learn quickly and change its faults when coached. This is especially well shown by the quick improvement which has taken place since the crew went to New London. The crew is steadier than last year's and physically is one of the strongest eights that Harvard has produced in recent years. The general watermanship, however, is poor, and the men are rough and awkward. The boat has shown a tendency to hitch between strokes, due to the men hanging at the full reach and rushing their slides. In this respect, however, they are improving rapidly and the boat is now moving more smoothly. The men get a good finish in their stroke, but lack the hard biting catch so marked in the Yale crew; they do not catch hard enough or quick enough. The crew has also shown a tendency to slug and yank the oars through the water instead of sweeping them through with a long, steady pull. These faults, however, are fast becoming eradicated by coaching, and today the crew is rowing more smoothly and with more power. The crew is a strong, hard-working eight, well able to stand the strain of a four-mile race, and in the recent time rows has usually rowed the last two miles in better form and in faster time than the first half of the course.

Individually, McGrew at stroke is a strong oar with a good idea of beat and rhythm, showing ability to put up the stroke at will. He has a tendency to hang and clip at the catch, slowing up and weakening the first part of his stroke.

Bancroft, number seven, is a very smooth oar. He is slow at the catch and has a tendency to cut his stroke off at the finish.

Shuebruk, number six, is also smooth and even in his movements. His blade work is good; but he is slow with his hands and uncertain on his recover.

Ayer is very stiff and rough. He is apt to row light and to lower his hands too much in the last part of the recover, causing his blade to fly off the water and making him clip. He is slow at the catch.

Foster, number four, although the strongest man in the crew, does not apply his power until the middle of the stroke, does not get his legs down together, and is apt to be slow.

Bullard, at three, swings out at the catch, is unsteady in his time and is apt to yank his oar instead of sweeping it through the water.

Swift, number two, though an awkward oar, is effective. He is sometimes slow at the catch and often washes out at the finish.

James, at bow, is unsteady on his recovery and jerks his hands at the finish. His biade work is very good.

Criticism of the Yale Crew.

This year's Yale crew certainly has the prospects of being one of the fastest eights that Yale has turned out in recent years. For an eight-oared crew the average weight of the men is very heavy, to the minds of some too heavy; yet with all their weight, the men are not awkward in the boat. Their blades go in fairly well together, their inboard work is smooth and the boat travels well between strokes. To the layman the stroke seems to differ somewhat from that of former years and shows the effect of professional coaching. This is especially marked in the last part of the stroke, the men getting a hard catch, a strong, steady push with the legs, but finishing in with the arms, their bodies in an almost slumping position, and getting a quick, smooth recover typical of the professional sculler. The men finish the stroke with their bodies almost perpendicular; they drive their legs down well together and have a steady recover: At present the Yale crew is better together and a smoother running machine than the Harvard boat.