Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (RBYC) has been certified as an official Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Training Centre after a year-long quest to reach the high standards of RYA criteria.With certification comes the highest standards of international tuition in dinghy, keelboat for juniors, youths and adult and powerboat courses.On hand for the announcement at the yacht club were Minister of Education Dame Jennifer Smith, sailing director Tom Herbert-Evans and Commodore Jonathon Brewin.For Herbert-Evans, who joined the RBYC in April of last year, it was a satisfying reward for the club’s efforts.“This certification, along with the club’s optimist chapter programme, not only allows us to continue to offer a high standard of sailing locally but opens the club up as an international training venue for visiting optimist squads,” said Herbert Evans. “The RYA standard is respected the world over and we look forward to promoting Bermuda as a training destination.”Commodore Brewin said he was thrilled to see the next step in the development of boating education in Bermuda finally come to fruition.The RBYC have worked closely with the Ministry of Education throughout the past year to offer sailing education through the Waterwise programme.“I am pleased to offer my congratulation to the RBYC on achieving certification from the RYA as an official dinghy training centre, the only one in the North American region,” said Smith. “This is a positive development for Bermuda generally but more specifically for the children of our Middle Schools who participate in the Waterwise programme.“As an island, we must be comfortable on and around the ocean. This certification is just one more step to ensure that we give our children a foundation which ensures that they utilise this resource to the fullest.”Double Gold Cup winner and triple Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie, who learned sailing in the RYA youth and national scheme said he was also pleased with the certification.“I’m thrilled to hear the RBYC has attained RYA training status. I have been lucky enough to have benefited from the RYA syllabus and structure since my early days as an optimist,” said Ainslie. “Even now I continue to work with the RYA as I prepare for the upcoming Olympics and it is an extremely exciting development for Bermuda.”Along with the sailing schemes, the RBYC Sailing Academy will now offer RYA Powerboat II training and certification.Courses currently available at the RBYC include junior dinghy sailing, youth dinghy and keelboat sailing, and adult keelboat classes and Powerboat II classes.