Delight and inspire your teen(s) with a singular adventure opportunity. Sign ’em up to learn the sport of traditional sailing as they make dozens of surprising cultural, historical, and ecosystem discoveries along the coastlines of France and the Channel Islands. Day after day, QBE crew members get the chance to explore centuries-old towns and remote idyllic moorages. It’s maritime magic—the sort of thing youngsters dream about.

Our artisan-built pilot cutters are not only extremely seaworthy, they’re a delight to sail. Our frequent ports of call are right out of a lavishly illustrated coffee-table book. And each expedition is largely organized by our crews who take ownership of most of the everyday tasks, including navigating, trimming the sails, and taking turns at the wheel.

After an initial orientation, instructors are there mostly to make some suggestions, answer questions, and make sure nobody is ever in danger.

The QBE teaching approach is, in large part, the Socratic method applied to yachting. In fact, it’s fair to say we don’t take our crew members sailing as much as they take us sailing. We even allow our students the latitude to get lost—so we can teach them how to get their bearings.

Each expedition includes hours of personalized gaff-rig sailing instruction in addition to visits to:

Cultural festivals & attractions

… as well as an opportunity to participate in regattas when opportunity arises and scheduling allows.

There are countless options available for summer high-school enrichment and even more for teen travel. But nothing beats the adrenaline rushes, unexpected revelations, and life-elevating personal satisfaction of a QBE maritime expedition. It’s an impact adventure that never leaves young adults where it found them.

—In 2023, we welcomed three international crews, including expeditioners from the UK, France, the United States, Croatia, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Norway, Poland, Greece, Canada, Turkey, Switzerland, and New Zealand.

OUR STORY: QBE (Qualified By Experience) is an internationally known experiential-learning initiative supported by a group of adventure sport enthusiasts who all attended the same Swiss boarding school. Outdoor and cultural expeditions were mandatory for students, and through the years, skiing, mountaineering, cycling, and sailing were their preferred outdoor options.

So when one of the school’s former expedition masters, a world-class sailing coach and outdoor educationalist, came across two rare pilot cutters on the market some years ago, he enlisted the help of several of his former students to acquire them. He then proceeded to make a remarkably transformative outdoor experience available to teens attending schools that lack any sailing, much less expeditionary sailing, opportunities.

When it comes to boosting self-esteem, challenging outdoor adventures (like small-team open-water sailing) can be fairy 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 exhilaration of cutting through the water on an eye-popping traditional boat, 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 sailing 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 this past season have already announced they plan to join us again next summer.

Expeditions take place in June (two weeks), July (three weeks), and August (three weeks).