The Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club has earned US Sailing Accredited Keelboat Centre status.

Betsy Alison, the United States Sailing adult director, was at the RHADC to commemorate their accreditation and to take part in the roof wetting of their newly completed boathouse on Wednesday.

The project’s architecture was by John Warwick, interiors were designed by By Design Ltd, and construction was done by Manuel Baron Contracting.

The building includes all new accessible facilities that will accommodate visiting yachtsman and an interactive classroom for the large variety of sailing programmes that are available to members and non-members at the RHADC. The boathouse will also provide a beautiful upper terrace for a new rooftop bar and event space.

Alison is the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider Paralympic coach, having previously been asked to coach the US team in the World Disabled Sailing Championship.

A self-described “seat of the pants” sailor, Alison has been voted Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year a record five times.

Alison hit the harbour to take part in BYRA’s Wednesday Night Racing hosted by RHADC.

The racers undertook a seven-mile course. The vessels sailed downwind towards Gray’s Bridge in Somerset and then sailed on a close reach to Channel Marker 103, then continued on a close reach sail to Channel Marker 102, with a final upwind path back to the finish line at the Hamilton Princess.

Alison skippered the J70 Menace, owned by Paul Wollmann and finished tenth overall.

Nico Stefani, the RHADC sailing director, has successfully completed the US Sailing keelboat training course and the club has met all of the shoreside qualifications and standards.

The club is now accredited as a US Sailing Association Sailing School.