If you’ve never set foot on a sailboat, you’re not alone. (It’s estimated that no more than about 8% of Americans have ever been sailing.) So for many parents in places like Texas, or Montana, or Iowa, the idea of enrolling a teenager in a European sailing expedition might sound, well… exotic to say the least. (“I never even thought of THAT!”) Perhaps they consider it impractical. Maybe simply too far outside their comfort zone? And besides, aren’t there perfectly good outdoor enrichment programs closer to home—like mountaineering in the Rockies, or rafting the Colorado River, or hiking the Appalachian Trail?

Sure. But sailing offers something those other activities don’t. And it might well be the most transformative thing your teen ever does.

Yachting isn’t just some highfalutin' lifestyle sport—It’s much more:

Sailing is the only outdoor activity that combines STEM, teamwork, problem-solving, leadership, independence, and physical challenge in a single package. On a sailboat, teens don’t just “go along for the ride”—they become part of a working crew. They trim sails, take the wheel, learn to recognize wind patterns, plot courses on nautical charts, and take responsibility for real-world outcomes.

Other activities might teach grit. A QBE maritime expedition teaches command.

Leadership skills are earned, not just handed out

On a sailboat, leadership isn’t awarded as some credential after a completed course—it’s earned hour by hour, watch by watch. Teens learn to trust each other’s judgment, support one another through unpredictable weather, and take ownership of their responsibilities—because no one wants to be the reason her boat slams into another while coming alongside a quay. Teens come home not just more confident, but with lived experience of what real responsibility feels like. That's growth no classroom or trail can replicate.

A Completely New Worldview

Even for teens who already have traveled abroad, seeing the world from the deck of a 46ft yacht is a radically different experience. Sailing exposes young people to navigational thinking, risk assessment, and a new international perspective. In Brittany, for instance, they don’t just sail past charm-blessed towns—they tie up in small under-the-radar harbors, interact with locals, and become global citizens with some calluses on their hands and unforgettable memories.

Sailing Builds the Ultimate “Soft-Skills Set”

In today’s world, emotional intelligence and collaborative skills are golden. Sailing demands and thus reinforces both. Young crew members learn to:

• Communicate clearly under pressure
• Manage fatigue and frustration
• Make decisions with incomplete information
• Live in close quarters with a culturally diverse peer group
• Support and lead in equal measure

These are important life skills, not just seafaring skills.

It Feels Like Real Adventure (Because It Is)

There’s something thrilling about raising a sail—like something out of the mists of the distant past—watching the shoreline disappear and relying on nothing but your crewmates, your charts, and the wind. Trekking and rafting are great, but a QBE sailing expedition captures a mythic quality of adventure in a part of Europe that is steeped in myth. Teens instinctively recognize and internalize that.

They don’t just get to do something cool, something that 99+% of their friends will likely never get the opportunity to do. They get to do something with lasting impact.

So… Why Not Choose Sailing?

When your teen returns home, you may not recognize the person you knew just a month before. You’ll discover someone stronger, wiser, and more self-assured. Able to work effectively with others. Able to handle the unexpected. Too, along the way, your son or daughter will have indelible memories of dolphins off the bow, skies filled with millions of visible stars at night, and the deep satisfaction of having navigated life along magical, distant shores.

You don’t have to be a sailor to raise one. You just have to be willing to let your teen “take a blithesome step forward…take the adventure, heed the call, ere the irrevocable moment passes!” (—Kenneth Grahame)

Useful links:

One of the safest ways for teens to explore Europe
Why sailing is the ultimate teen leadership course
Give your teen a story worth telling—winning college application essays