Robby Meek ’27, who competes in double-handed fleet racing, single-handed fleet racing, and double-handed team racing, won the NEISA Open Singlehanded Championship for the second time in a row on Sept. 13. Harvard sailing has opened the 2025-2026 season strong with a recent 7-0 round robin victory at the NEISA Match Race Championships on Sept. 20, building on last season’s double-handed team national championship.
Single-handed fleet racers sail a one-person boat, with strategies shaped by weather and ocean conditions at each meet. All competitions contribute to an overall points system towards the Fowle Trophy, a major accolade given to the college with the highest score in collegiate sailing.
Over the summer, Meek also represented the United States in the North American championships in the ILCA 7s—the Olympic single-handed class—where he claimed his third consecutive title. Meek’s passion for sailing began at age eight at a sailing summer camp in Annapolis, Md. “I enjoyed it so much, I got into racing the next summer,” Meek said in an interview with the Independent. “I did a bunch of racing that following summer and started to do well, so I continued with that.” Though he also played soccer and lacrosse, Meek ultimately chose to focus solely on sailing.
Team culture is often a driving force behind both enjoyment and success for teams at Harvard. “My favorite parts about this team are the people, the coaches, and the support,” Meek said. “I am super close with a lot of people on the team, and I look forward to all my practices, competitions, and drives in the team van.”
Sailing, in particular, is known for having more walk-ons than most Harvard teams. This means that new sailors are constantly joining the team, many of them beyond their first year. “There are some people I’ve known for years and some people that I have just met this year,” Meek said.
Sailing is a highly technical sport, where success depends on minimizing mistakes during races—making the fine-tuning done in practice crucial to a successful competition. “I approach practices trying to experiment a lot, and in the experimentation, there are a lot of mistakes, and that’s okay,” Meek reflected. “In races it’s all about minimizing mistakes and applying what you’ve learned.”
That willingness to experiment in practice has been one of Meeks’s keys to success. His impressive sailing career already includes finishing as the top American in the Gold Fleet at the European Championships in Sweden over the summer.
Meek is one of many Harvard student-athletes striving to make the most of the opportunities the school provides. This is challenging given demanding mandatory practice schedules, with additional lifts and cardio to optimize performance. “Sometimes sailing itself isn’t very windy, so you have to work out on top of that, and with lots of other opportunities or things to do, it’s hard to fit that in,” Meek said.
The next challenge Meek has set for himself is the College Single-Handed National Championships at Old Dominion University. In previous years, the competition has been held at Tulane University in New Orleans, La., and St. Petersburg College in St. Petersburg, Fla., where Meek competed as a first-year and then a sophomore. After a strong start to the 2025-2026 season, Meek and his teammates hope to carry their success forward. “I’m excited for it this year, hoping for the win! So lots of working out, sailing, and eating well,” Meek said.
Tilly Butterworth ’28 (mbutterworth@college.harvard.edu) writes Sports for the Independent.