Join us this summer on the west coast of France for a life-elevating outdoor leadership course, designed especially for teenagers!

The QBE* European Leadership School offers summer outdoor leadership courses for high-school students in a spectacularly beautiful corner of Europe. Our iconic, Insta-worthy boats take crew members to off-the-beaten-path ports and anchorages along the magical coastlines of western France, the Channel Islands, and the south of England.

QBE’s finely honed personal development strategies really do change young lives. And nothing beats the camaraderie, daily adrenaline rushes, and life-affirming personal satisfaction of small-yacht team sailing. So why not feel the wind in your hair next summer? Grab your deck shoes, bring some friends, and join us on the French Atlantic coast for an adventure sailing expedition that out-delivers on most other outdoor leadership alternatives hands down. Enroll now!

*PARENTS: QBE (Qualified By Experience) is a top-shelf outdoor leadership initiative supported by a group of like-minded adventure enthusiasts who taught at or attended the same Swiss international school. Outdoor and cultural expeditions were always mandatory for us, and through the years, skiing, mountaineering, cycling, and sailing were the outdoor activities of choice. So when one of our expedition masters came across two rare pilot cutters on the market a number of years ago, he immediately started working the phone to raise funds to purchase them. His idea was to make the school’s transformative experiences available to a larger market.

When it comes to boosting self-esteem and teaching leadership skills, challenging outdoor adventures (like small-yacht open-water sailing) can be the secret sauce, especially when participants are given the reins to make many of their own expedition decisions. There’s nothing quite like the exhilaration of cutting through the water with a strong breeze in your sails, unless it’s the pride you feel when pulling into port after a challenging day on the water. It’s simply a fact that self-esteem is a proven catalyst for academic and career success. Parents and educators are constantly amazed at the difference a great adventure can make in a teenager’s life trajectory. And what’s more, youngsters love it. In fact, many of our crewmates come back and do it again.

new skills • new perspectives • new confidence

Direct access by train from Charles de Gaulle airport, in Paris | No sailing experience necessary