Join us in Brittany next summer for an epic coming-of-age adventure: a unique live-aboard sailing camp, organized in part by our campers.
It’s so-o-o much more than a sailing course.
“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… To say that it was a sailing trip does not do justice to her ‘growing up’ experiences.””
The QBE European Leadership School (ELS), known for its signature classic boats, serves up impact sailing adventures for high-school students along the culturally rich French and British coastlines. Each camp emphasizes instruction in traditional sailing, cultural discovery, marine coastal ecology, and team-success coaching.
Our head-turning gaff-rig pilot cutters, authentically constructed by an artisan boatwright, are unmistakably “old-school chic.” Our frequent destinations are right out of a coffee-table book. And each expedition is largely organized by a (very) small international group of crew members who take ownership of practically all everyday tasks, including navigating, helping prepare meals, and taking turns at the wheel.
We even give our crews the latitude to get lost! (so we can teach them how to get their bearings)
If you’re looking for a singular sailing adventure next summer, one that can change the trajectory of young lives, find some deck shoes and join us in Brittany.
The staff–to-student ratio is 1:3. Instruction is in English.
Since 2023, we have welcomed crew members from the UK, France, the United States, Italy, Germany, Poland, Ireland, Norway, Greece, Switzerland, Canada, Turkey/Portugal, Croatia, and New Zealand. Several have told us they’re coming back this next summer.
One of Europe’s best overnight sailing camps for teens.
*OUR STORY: QBE (Qualified By Experience) is an internationally acclaimed expeditionary-learning camp supported by a group of adventure sport enthusiasts who all attended the same Swiss boarding school. Outdoor and cultural expeditions were mandatory for all students, and through the years, skiing, mountaineering, cycling, and sailing were the most popular outdoor options.
“Expeditionary education is often associated with adventure education, outdoor education, environmental education or experiential education and refers specifically to learning associated with exploration and journey-based experiences or expeditions within these fields. Usually involving elements of challenge, adventure and leadership, expeditionary education can take place in a variety of settings...””
In 2009, one of the school’s former expedition masters—an outdoor education entrepreneur and advocate of “learning-by-experiencing”—came across two rare pilot cutters up for sale. He immediately hatched a plan to acquire them and make one of the school’s most transformative teen activities available to youngsters from a broad range of backgrounds. With the backing of some of his former students, “QBE Adventure Sailing” became the new focus of QBE Outdoor Education’s European Leadership School.
When it comes to boosting self-esteem, challenging outdoor adventures (like small-yacht blue-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.
A crowd gathers to watch a QBE cutter pass by
As for QBE sailing, there’s nothing quite like the exhilaration of cutting through the water on a 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.
What’s more, teens love it; many of our crew members ask to come back and do it again. Several of our 2022 expeditioners returned to sail with us in 2023.
You may never have even considered sending your teen on a summer sailing expedition, much less one along the French coast. But no matter where you live, you should. It’s not just a horizon-expanding adventure, but also a life-elevating small-team sport where nobody sits on the bench; every crew member plays an important role.
References on request.
You can read an English translation of a recent Bateaux.com article about QBE’s unique “learning by doing” philosophy here.
Click or tap to watch what some of our expeditioners had to say about their QBE adventure.
“Thank you! Thank you for everything! That was a life-changing trip and he hopes to return next year!”
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All major credit cards accepted, so you can pay securely and with confidence.
life-elevating adventure • expert sailing instruction • NEW GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
No sailing experience necessary | Transportation available to and from Paris airports | Safety record: Impeccable