QBE is what people these days would call a “boutique” sailing program(me): small, lots of personal attention, and “unique selling points (USPs).“ Our boats are very much old-school chic. Our European destinations are right out of a Rizzoli® coffee-table book. And our expeditions are largely organized by crew members who take ownership of most of the everyday tasks, including navigating and taking turns at the helm. We even give our crews the latitude to get lost! (Yes, we have GPS, but that doesn’t mean we let our teens use it.)
Come to think of it, QBE is a bit like the small school in the Swiss Alps where our founder, investors, and volunteers all first met. The views were spectacular. We organized our own mountain expeditions. And the houses/dorms were old converted hotels that oozed charm but needed occasional roof repairs*.
Our pilot cutters are far from state-of-the-art, but they were solidly built by an artisan boatwright a number of years ago, using a 19th-century design. We think they significantly upgrade our value proposition. They are wonderful to sail, very steady in choppy seas, and eye-popping to look at, whether tied up by the quay or cutting through the water at full sail. As an additional plus, our director, Will Sutherland, is a world-class sailing coach and experienced high-school expeditions master. When it comes to premium personal-development and summer enrichment for youngsters, you can’t do better.
*For clarification, our boats DO NOT leak.