Teens, join us for an unforgettable old-school sailing expedition along magical French & British coastlines.
Let’s Go Sailing!
Take a look for yourself:
“As a parent l can say that my daughter’s three weeks with QBE in August 2023 has been the single most remarkable experience of her life. She was lucky to have this opportunity as a teenager.”
— M. Brosnan, Cork, Ireland
Teens:
Join an international crew of 15–18-year olds, catch the wind, and sail up to 1,000 nautical miles along the charm-blessed coastlines of western France and the Channel Islands on our spectacular gaff-rig yachts. There’s no better way to learn the sport of traditional sailing while expanding your horizons and having an absolute blast in a spectacularly beautiful, off-the-beaten-path corner of Europe!
Itineraries ashore include:
✅ Historic sites
✅ Museums & aquariums
✅ Local festivals
✅ Cultural attractions
✅ Sampling some dessert crêpes and pastries with new friends at iconic French cafés.
Nothing beats the camaraderie, daily adrenaline rushes, and game-changing personal satisfaction of small-yacht team sailing on gaff-rig cutters. And nothing beats the old-world charm of coastal Brittany and the Channel Islands.
So why not feel the wind in your hair next summer? Go find your deck shoes and join us for a live-aboard sailing expedition that beats just about any other outdoor adventure option hands down.
The language of instruction is English | Crew member to staff ratio is 3:1 | Safety record: impeccable
Parents:
“Nothing builds self-esteem and self-confidence like accomplishment.”
—Thomas Carlyle
QBE is an internationally known expeditionary-learning initiative supported by a group of adventure sport enthusiasts who all met at one of Switzerland’s leading boarding schools. Outdoor and cultural expeditions were mandatory there, and through the years, skiing, mountaineering, cycling, and sailing were the preferred outdoor options.
So when one of the school’s former expedition masters, a world-class sailing coach and outdoor educationalist, came across two artisan-built pilot cutters on the market some years back, he reached out to some of his former pupils. With their help, he hatched a plan to make one of the school’s most transformative teen experiences available to small crews of teens from a broad range of nationalities and backgrounds.
When it comes to boosting self-esteem, challenging outdoor adventures (like small-yacht blue-water sailing) can be pixie dust, especially when participants are given the reins to make many of their own expedition decisions. That’s why so many top schools have adopted, and now swear by, expeditionary-learning activities.
As for QBE sailing, there’s nothing quite like the triumphant exhilaration of cutting through the water on a traditional boat—dolphins providing an escort—unless it’s the pride crew members feel when pulling into port after a busy day on the water. And unlike, say, a wilderness trek, there are also the daily revelations that come from discovering our area’s vibrant ports, cultural sites, and regional cuisine.
Participants go home feeling they’ve taken their lives to a new level… because they have.
It’s simply a fact that self-esteem is a powerful catalyst for academic and career success. You’ll be amazed at the difference a great adventure can make in a young adult’s life trajectory.
And what’s more, teens love it; many of our crew members ask to come back and do it again. Several of our students in 2023 signed up to join us again this past summer. One even took a part-time job to help pay the tuition.
You may never have even considered sending your teen on a summer sailing expedition, much less one along French and British coastlines. But no matter where you live, you should. Not only is a sailing expedition an unfiltered, impact adventure, but it’s a small-team sport where every participant gains the satisfaction of playing an important role.
—Recently, we’ve welcomed young expeditioners from the UK, France, the United States, Croatia, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Norway, Poland, Greece, Canada, Turkey/Portugal, Switzerland, New Zealand, and China.
*Read about Will Sutherland and his unique “learning by doing” philosophy in an article that appeared recently on Bateaux.com, one of France’s most popular boating websites. Here is an English translation.