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“What’s cool right now...” (according to GQ magazine)

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A QBE pilot cutter in Saint-Malo Bay.

We came across this the other day and thought we’d pass it along, just FYI:

What’s Cool Right Now, According to Stylish People With Great Taste

What should you wear? How should you smell? Where should you be eating? Or vacationing? You might never know without The GQ Hype List, a super-specific, deeply personal, earth-spanning guide to what’s cool right this very minute.

[…] 4. Sailing on Your Lunch Break

Every Tuesday, [interior magazine Apartamento cofounder Nacho Alegre] leaves his office in Barcelona around one, bikes to the sea, hops in his five-meter dinghy—which he bought secondhand for just a couple thousand euros—and races out on the glimmering Mediterranean. “And then I’m back in the office by 3:30,” he says. Alegre doesn’t quite understand why sailing isn’t more popular. “It’s pretty physical,” he says, and cheaper than you might think. Not too long ago, he notes, all of his friends started rock climbing, “like everywhere in the world.” There’s no reason, he says, why sailing couldn’t become the next big craze.

 
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It’s nice to be in the right place at the right time

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Mont Orgueil Castle, Gorey, Jersey
Image: Henry Barnes

Just this week we came across an article in “Airmail” about new hot-list vacation spots in Europe. It turns out one of them frequently is on our itinerary—the Channel Islands! Here’s an excerpt:

"While some are searching for the Mediterranean’s last remaining undiscovered gems—such as Sicily’s Egadi Islands or Ponza, off the coast of Lazio—others are opting to forgo the Med altogether in favor of cooler waters, in places like Spain, Portugal, and even the once lowly Channel Islands. (Ferry companies in the Channel Islands have increased their routes this year to meet demand, while airlines have added new flights to the islands of Guernsey and Jersey.)

Last year, The Times of London reported on an influx of the super-rich to the Channel island of Jersey, where tax incentives, white beaches, and quaint beach houses provide a much-needed respite from the crowded shores of Italy, France, and southern Spain. ‘I went to Jersey last week,’ a friend says, ‘and it was heaven.’”

Many of the small seaside towns in Brittany are just as inviting, but “sh-h-h,” don’t tell anybody.

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July 2023 Expedition Update—Below Deck

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What are you do-ink? Making Dinner! (What does it look like? LOL) Guy—one of our QBE skippers)—shows off his beautifully accented English while capturing a few seconds of supper prep in Marie Claude's galley. It's our own "Below Deck!"

QBE European adventure sailing for teens—whipping up supper.

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July 2023 Expedition Update—Sailing West

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It’s Wednesday, 12 July, and we’re sailing along the spectacular coastline of the Côtes d’Armor (excuse the tautology). Here’s a nice three-minute video produced for the départment’s tourist board. The title in English is The Côtes d’Armor Seen From The Sky.

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Wind in our wings: Helping our crew members to soar

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“They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.””
— Isaiah 40:31

Repost: Wings of Inspiration by Polish photographer Dariusz Klimczak. www.kwadrart.com (not our boats)

QBE expeditions are about learning to sail. They’re about exploring postcard ports and coastlines. They’re about discovering new cultures with all their historic wonders, artisanal treasures, and distinctive cuisine. But—though hard to articulate—they’re also about the nourishment that small-group traditional sailing provides for the soul and the confidence that flows from it. It’s one of those things you just have to experience to truly appreciate.

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Getting ready for the season

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St-Malo, France. Wednesday 18 May, 2022: A bird’s-eye view of one of our pilot cutters. Between now and July, we’re working flat-out to get our boats ready for the season—new electronics, new varnish, new rope, new life boats, new paint, and soon—some lucky new crew members!

(“… Now, how do I get down?”)

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Folly or Gift?

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Will Sutherland, QBE’s founder and director, has been teaching for some 50 years. But he’s been sailing for longer than that. Many in his family think he should retire; after all, that’s what most people do when they reach retirement age. They think the QBE project is now nothing more than an old sailor’s folly.

But what if you have a passion for what you do? What if you have a real gift for teaching? What if you’re a modern-day Obi-Wan Kenobi, able to impart knowledge and insights that can change the trajectories of young lives?

Will was born to teach. It’s clearly his calling. And for as long as he can, he plans to use his boats to inspire new generations of young adults. Many of us who had invaluable mentors as young adults will always be thankful for the Will Sutherlands of this world. if you’re a teenager, you really should jump at the chance to join somebody with his experience and expertise on one of his unique expeditions. It actually is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

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Teens: Learn to sail on a QBE Pilot Cutter

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If you want to learn how to sail, you should choose 1) a terrific instructor and 2) a great boat on which to learn. We’ve got both. You can join us this summer, in July or August. When you go home, you’ll be a proficient sailor—and navigator. Book your place now! (Watch QBE founder and director Will Sutherland discuss his boats here.

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Will Sutherland talks about QBE’s charismatic sailing boats

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“The boats look after themselves [...] and the boat looks after the crew.””
— Will Sutherland on why pilot cutters make the perfect boats for teen sailing

Several years ago, QBE founder and director Will Sutherland sat down in the galley of one of his boats to talk about the history of pilot cutters and how his two, Marie Claude and Yseult, came to be built. The video was not staged—people were coming and going—and there were a few technical “glitches.” But keep in mind It was just a kitchen table conversation that somebody captured on their video camera. Production imperfections notwithstanding, it’s an informative and interesting clip. What comes through loud and clear is Will’s impressive experience and deep expertise. The video is 10-minutes long.

 
 
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