Retiring sailing coach Roger Rawlings was honored at a special sailing alumni event this past weekend, including an alumni regatta and a special dedication to honor his long and successful tenure.

Nearly 90 alumni, faculty and staff members, parents, and friends of the program attended the event on Saturday June 8, which included events at the farm and at the waterfront.

The luncheon included a surprise announcement dedicating the observation deck of the Boathouse in Rawlings’ name, as well as a named endowment to support the sailing program.

The weekend honored Rawlings for his 26 seasons as head sailing coach at Hotchkiss, which has included scores of successful sailing alumni and numerous titles and championships, including winning this year’s New England fleet race championship on Lake Wonoscopomuc.

Alumni at the event stretched back even before Rawlings’ time to sailors such as Peter Knaus ’74, and all the way up to this year’s graduates, including co-captains Meredith Moran ’19, Chris Lukens ’19, and Elizabeth Koobatian ’19.

The weekend began with a lunch at the Hotchkiss Boathouse, followed by an alumni regatta in the afternoon. Guests then enjoyed a dinner and celebration at Fairfield Farm.