Alumni are expected to turn out at the 150th edition of the Yale-Harvard Regatta on the Thames River on Sunday morning. However, another sort of history is on the mind of the Bulldogs.

Harvard has won the last seven varsity races, and 27 of the last 30, in the Regatta. Another win by the Crimson would mean five straight classes of Bulldogs will have graduated without tasting victory over Harvard.

"It's the 150th anniversary so it's a little different, it's special," Yale junior Hubert Trzybinski said. "The rock has been red for way too long and we really want to change it and paint it blue."

The competition begins at 9:45 a.m. with the third varsity race followed by the second varsity at 10:30. The four-mile varsity race will begin at 11:30. All three races will travel upstream, finishing at Bartlett's Cove in Gales Ferry.

Unlike in past years, there is a sense the varsity race could go either way.

Yale won the title at the Eastern Sprints and finished 6.5 seconds ahead of Harvard. The second varsity also finished ahead of Harvard. At the International Rowing Association National Championship Regatta, Yale's time in the preliminary heats was almost seven seconds faster than Harvard's.

However, Harvard finished more than a second ahead of Yale in the semifinals as the Crimson advanced to the Grand Final and the Bulldogs were relegated to the Petite Final. There was little consolation that the Bulldogs clocked a better time in winning the Petite Final than Harvard did in finishing fifth in the championship race.

"Harvard's standard is the same but we have a stronger squad so that puts us in better position, that's for sure," Yale coach Steve Gladstone said. "Every coach and every athlete always harbors the dream of 'we can do this.' Based on the performance of the squad this year, it appears that there is a better shot.

"This is not 2,000 meters. If we were racing 2,000 meters with Harvard one on one, there is more information. Over four miles, who knows?"

Harvard coach Charley Butt knew changes were needed after the Eastern Sprints and inserted freshmen Cole Durbin, Jack Kelley, Alexander Richards and Connor Harrity into the varsity boat.

"There was no guarantee that it was going to work, but you could feel, given the strength of the freshman class, that it was going to bring the whole level up and it has," Butt said.

Butt spoke about the talent in the Yale varsity boat, but wasn't quite ready to call his squad underdogs in the varsity race.

"What do I think of Yale?" Butt said. "I think they are very talented, tough, determined. You don't rise to the top of the East without that. I feel the same way about our oarsmen, that they have talent, toughness. They certainly have size on us. It is everything a rivalry should be."

No seniors are expected to be in Yale's varsity boat, but this is still a chance for the senior class to cherish the chance to go out on top.

"It would be really satisfying, especially us having seen the transition," said senior and team captain Lyon Van Voorhis. "It's been pretty neat to see the changes and it would be an awesome achievement to go out with a win."