DERBY, Conn.- The Yale heavyweight crew team beat Dartmouth this morning to win the Olympic Axe for the 12^th year in a row.  The competition between the two teams began in 2004 and Yale has won it every year since.  In the heavy tailwind and chop, Yale’s second and third varsity boats also beat Dartmouth’s shells across the line.  The fourth varsity fell to the Big Green but edged out their fifth boat.

The varsity boat began the Bulldogs’ only home regatta of the year.  The squad was able to beat Dartmouth over six seconds, finishing the course with a time of 5:22.9.  Dartmouth finished in 5:29.1.

The 2V competed next, completing the course with a time of 5:32.3, better than Dartmouth’s 5:37.9. 

The third and fourth varsities raced next, providing a slightly higher level of drama with finishes separated by less than two seconds.  With about 800 meters to go in the third varsity race, down by about seven seats, Yale’s boat, stroked by junior Peter Tortora, raised the rate and was able to walk up on Dartmouth and edge them out, finishing in 5:34.2.  Dartmouth came in right behind with a time of 5:35.8.

The final race of the day, which featured Yale’s 4V and Dartmouth’s 4V and 5V, was the only one the Bulldogs did not win.  The Eli crew came in less than two seconds behind the Big Green boat with a time of 5:43.7.

The heavyweights’ next race will be a week from today, on Saturday Apr. 18, at which time they will compete for the Carnegie Cup against Columbia and Penn at Overpeck Lake, N.J.

Full results can be found here.