Eads Johnson, Jr. Cup (Eads Johnson Cup)

The Eads Johnson Cup is named for Eads Johnson, Jr. and is competed for annually by the Navy and Yale MVL8s.


Photo courtesy of Yale Lightweight Crew

Eads Johnson (Yale ’34) attended Yale on a NROTC scholarship and was captain of the 1934 Yale lightweight crew that also rowed in the 1934 Henley Royal Regatta. The inaugural Eads Johnson Cup match race was won by Navy on 3 April 2004 in Mercer County, New Jersey — this match race is always rowed at a neutral site.

Prior to the Eads Johnson Cup series Navy and Yale met in 1961, 1962, and 1976 match races, which were won by Navy.

However, the first meeting of Navy and Yale lightweight eights was on Friday, 28 May 1920, in the Sixteenth Annual Regatta of the American Rowing Association. The order of finish on the day was Penn – Princeton – Yale – Navy.

Yale leads the match race series 14 – 8.

And, Yale leads the Eads Johnson Cup series 14 – 5.

Please send any additions and/or corrections to the NavyLights Staff Historian.

Match Race and Eads Johnson Cup Winning Crews

Year Winner Series

N – Y

Cup

N – Y

1961 Navy 1 – 0 No Cup
1962 Navy 2 – 0 No Cup
1976 Navy 3 – 0 No Cup
2004 Navy 4 – 0 1 – 0
2005 Navy 5 – 0 2 – 0
2006 Yale 5 – 1 2 – 1
2007 Navy 6 – 1 3 – 1
2008 Yale 6 – 2 3 – 2
2009 Yale 6 – 3 3 – 3
2010 Navy 7 – 3 4 – 3
2011 Yale 7 – 4 4 – 4
2012 Yale 7 – 5 4 – 5
2013 Yale 7 – 6 4 – 6
2014 Yale 7 – 7 4 – 7
2015 Yale 7 – 8 4 – 8
2016 Yale 7 – 9 4 – 9
2017 Yale 7 – 10 4 – 10
2018 Yale 7 – 11 4 – 11
2019 Yale 7 – 12 4 – 12
2020 NO RACE 7 – 12 4 – 12
2021 NO RACE 7 – 12 4 – 12
2022 Yale 7 – 13 4 – 13
2023 Yale 7 – 14 4 – 14
2024 Yale 8 – 14 5 – 14