In Bill Lamb's office on the second floor of the St. Joseph's Prep boathouse hangs a framed poster of coxswain Pete Cipollone, Prep Class of '89 and 2004 Olympic gold medalist.

The snapshot shows an exultant Cipollone seconds after guiding the United States to the men's eight gold medal in Athens.

Eight days ago, on a sunny Philadelphia afternoon, Cipollone came to see his alma mater in its last practice before leaving for the Henley Royal Regatta, first held in 1839.

Cipollone sat on the dock and looked out at the Schuylkill.

"I can break down every 10 seconds of that Olympic final," Cipollone said. "When you touch perfection, even if it's just for a minute or two, it sticks with you for the rest of your life."

On Wednesday, Lamb's varsity eight boat will begin competing at Henley, a five-day event in Henley-on-Thames, England. The winning boat can call itself the fastest high school boat in the world. Its name will be etched onto the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup. And although that cup never leaves England, the joy of its victory does.

This year will be the Prep's ninth trip to Henley; it has won only once, in 2000.

Lamb has coached since 1981. He said this year's crew - from stern to bow - might be the best in Prep history.

"I won't take a crew to Henley unless it can win," Lamb said. "And this group has that chemistry you gain only through hard work."

Eight days ago, nine boys - eight rowers and a coxswain - practiced on the Schuylkill for the final time.

These boys, nearly men, lifted a 60-foot shell from the racks inside their boathouse. They carried it, arms taut above heads, from the shade of the boathouse onto the sun-streaked dock. They lowered it into the water, then looked back at the light-brick boathouse as only 18-year-olds can: squinting, smiles sideways, not quite sure what it means - what it really means - to do something for the last time.

No, their boathouse - erected in 2002 - doesn't hold generations of memories, but it holds theirs: mornings on the water while this city slept, jokes tossed among them, races won with superb efforts, warm-ups while music blasted from someone's iPod.

Nine seniors. One grueling year.

Their quest began the first day of school. It continued through winter workouts. The team practiced on ergometers in a basement room at St. Joe's Prep. The room is known as the "boiler room," not only because it actually is the boiler room, but also because of the stifling heat and humidity generated on the ergs.

Nine seniors whose careers end this week.

It will end, they hope, with a silver cup, with a glimpse of perfection.

The nine must move as one. Each must be in sync with the boat's rhythm. Each must become a cog propelling the boat forward. But each has his own story.