The Harvard men’s lightweight rowing team retained the Franklin Cup against Cornell on April 4, winning both varsity and junior varsity races to open its spring season.
The event is significant as it marks a strong start for Harvard’s spring campaign, with victories over traditional rivals Cornell and Penn. The results set the tone for upcoming competitions.
Racing conditions were described as ideal, with light winds of two to three miles per hour and a medium current. In the varsity eight race, Harvard finished first with a time of 5:44.5, more than four seconds ahead of Penn and nearly twenty-three seconds ahead of Cornell. The second varsity boat narrowly defeated Penn by two-tenths of a second, finishing in 5:46.5 compared to Penn’s 5:46.7. In the third varsity race that opened the day, Penn edged out Harvard with a time of 5:59.6 to Harvard’s 6:02.8.
Next weekend, Harvard will host Dartmouth and MIT on the Charles River on Saturday, April 11.
Lineups for each boat were also announced following the races.
