“To take a win, since that has been elusive, is definitely a good feeling,” Moore said. “I have my cap off to the rest of my boatmates.”

Moore was joined in the 2011 season by Chang and co-captains-elect Matt O’Leary and Erich Schultze, both rising seniors.

This year, the boat welcomed four junior rowers from the 2011 2V who capped off their undefeated seasons with IRA gold in the lightweight four: stroke Florian Mayr, seven seat Alex Newell, five seat Nick Gates, and four seat Stu Taylor.

“They brought that winning spirit,” Moore said.

It has been a particularly good year for the Newell family, as Alex’s older brother Will ’11 qualified to race in the London Olympics in the lightweight straight four, while mother Nelia ’79 was a member of the coaching staff for the Radcliffe lightweight team that earned an IRA medal in the 1V race for the first time since 2006.

Rounding out the boat was bowman Michael Wales, the crew’s lone sophomore. Wales stroked the 2011 freshman eight and rowed for the US U23 quad with O’Leary, Newell, and Schultze.

“The group of guys is pretty remarkable,” Moore said. “We all work hard, we’re all committed to pushing ourselves individually. We are a lot of fun, there are a lot of characters in the boat.... I think it’s pretty key to...not take yourselves too seriously.... I think this boat has embraced that balance.”

The Crimson’s other boat, the lightweight four, which was composed of rowers from this year’s freshman eight, was unable to replicate its 2011 success. Harvard finished fifth overall after taking second in the heat.

—Staff writer Christina C. McClintock can be reached at ccmcclin@post.harvard.edu.