A hot-list European Adventure Camp for intrepid teens looking to go places!

 Come Sail Postcard French and British Coastlines on Classic Gaff-Rig Pilot Cutters

The QBE European Leadership School (ELS) operates an adventure camp for teens, emphasizing old-school sailing instruction, life-skills training, and extraordinary cultural exploration. It’s a three-week sailing expedition and worldschool course rolled into one. It’s also a great way to practice your English or pick up some French.

Our signature traditional boats are “no-frills chic.” Our frequent destinations are right out of a coffee-table book. And each expedition is largely organized by our crew members who take ownership of most of the everyday tasks, including navigating and taking turns at the wheel. We’ll even give you and your new friends the latitude to get lost!

Grab your deck shoes and join us next summer for a premium expeditionary education experience—and a whole lot of fun!

Parents:

QBE (Qualified By Experience) is a top-shelf experiential-learning initiative supported by a group of outdoor enthusiasts who all attended or taught at the same Swiss international school. Outdoor and cultural expeditions were mandatory for us, and through the years, skiing, mountaineering, cycling, and sailing were the outdoor activities of choice. So when one of our former expeditions masters came across two rare pilot cutters on the market a number of years ago, he started working the phone to raise funds to purchase them. The idea was to make our own transformative teen experiences available to a broader market.

When it comes to boosting self-esteem, 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. 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 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. 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.

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 2025 participants have already announced their intention to join us again next season.

We’re always happy to provide references.

EXTRAORDINARY EUROPEAN DESTINATIONS • VALUES FOR SUCCESS •  NEW GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

No sailing experience necessary | Staff-to-camper ratio—1:3 | Safety Record: Impeccable