To the casual observer, it appeared no different than most spring Saturday mornings on the Charles River.
A crisp breeze cutting across the water, boats scurrying upstream and downstream, legions of fans lined along the riverbank . . . and Harvard’s crew victorious.
But this day was different — immensely different — for those who follow the Crimson or collegiate rowing. For the first time in 52 springs, Harvard’s heavyweight crew raced on the Charles without Harry Parker as its coach.
Parker, mythical in stature among American rowing figures, died last June after a two-year battle with blood cancer. He remained the team’s coach until his death, his final crew going undefeated and winning the Eastern Sprints.
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Now at the helm is Charley Butt, who for 28 years led the Harvard lightweight program to national success, albeit in the shadow of the heavies and of Parker. The transition, not surprisingly, has been seamless. Butt’s crew came into Saturday’s Compton Cup unbeaten — courtesy of wins over Cornell and Brown — and left the same way, beating back a challenge from No. 4 Princeton along with MIT to capture the Cup for the 62d time in 77 attempts.
The third-ranked Crimson jumped on the competition early, and though challenged in the final sprint, never surrendered the lead, finishing in 6 minutes, 9 seconds. The Tigers, who suffered their first loss of the spring, crossed in 6:10.1, while an eager MIT boat tried to keep pace before falling back and settling for third (6:45.4).
“We knew Princeton would be strong at the start and that we had to match them,“ said Butt. “It turned into a great college crew race. We’d step up and then they’d step up. Even after our boat had a good move [in the third 500] to open up a bit of a margin, Princeton came right back and forced us to answer over the final two minutes. Fortunately, we did.”
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Even as this Harvard crew establishes its own identity, Butt embraces the impact Parker still has on the program.
“We think about Harry every day and he’s a part of what we do in practice and in our preparation,” Butt said. “The philosophical backbone of the program is based on his approach. This year’s crew seems to be strong in every phase of the race, and that’s a testament to our captain and our seniors, and what they’ve learned from Harry.”
“What you’re seeing with Harvard is the blending of two great coaches,” said Princeton coach Greg Hughes. “Harry’s legacy is still there, but this is Charley’s crew. In both attitude and approach, you’re seeing Charley’s touch and Harry’s spirit.”
MIT coach Tony Kilbridge, a 1982 Harvard graduate who rowed for Parker, added, “People need to realize that Charley is also a fixture on the river. Sure, it’s strange not seeing Harry, but the program is in good hands.”
Fans and foes witnessed that firsthand on Saturday.
“Harvard had a great start and was able to dictate the terms for the first 1,000 meters,” said Hughes. “But we stayed tough and our young crew handled the environment and the conditions well. It was a solid effort throughout; they were just a little faster.”
Much of that was the result of a seasoned Crimson boat that includes senior captain Andrew Holmes, a Lochwinnoch, Scotland, native who has stroked the varsity since the middle of last season. He summed up the team’s take on the coaching transition.
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“We’re always thinking about Harry,“ said Holmes. “He’s part of this river. Our team has been privileged and blessed to be coached by both Harry and Charley.”
Other action on the river included No. 6 Brown and seventh-ranked Northeastern battling in the 50th racing of the Dreissigacker Cup. The visiting Bears overcame the Huskies’ early advantage, seized control, and never let up on their way to a 2-length victory.
“The big thing for us was to make our base speed last longer than it has in our first two races,” said Brown coach Paul Cooke. “We showed real discipline today in a difficult headwind, and once the boats settled, we were able to get moving and establish a pace that was strong enough to win the race.”
Brown moved ahead at 250 meters and made it a length by 800. NU was unable to stem that momentum as the Bears coasted to a 6:14.4-6:21.2 decision that gave them a 29-21 series lead.
“We’re having some trouble putting the right combinations together for race day,” said Northeastern coach John Pojednic, whose crew has beaten George Washington, Drexel, and Boston University, and placed second at the San Diego Classic. “But I’m confident that our top-end speed will begin to reveal itself as we get more water time and the opportunity to prepare crews consistently.”