A European outdoor leadership course on classic gaff-rig yachts. Come as you are, leave more like the person you aspire to be.
Sailing small, learning to live large!
The QBE* European Leadership School in St-Malo operates small-yacht outdoor leadership courses for teens along the postcard coastlines of western France and the British Channel Islands. Our maritime expeditions combine old-school sailing instruction, European cultural and ecosystem discovery, valuable life-skills mentoring, and some ridiculous fun to create a memorable, life-elevating experience for teens. Come feel the wind in your hair next summer. Find your deck shoes and join us in Brittany. Apply now for our June, July, or August expeditions.
Sail small, live large! Check out QBE's outdoor leadership expeditions along the French and British coastlines on our eye-popping gaff-rig yachts.
“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. She was lucky to have this opportunity as a teenager. To say that it was a sailing trip does not do justice to her ‘growing up’ experiences. ”
*PARENTS: QBE (Qualified By Experience) is a top-shelf expeditionary learning initiative supported by a group of like-minded outdoor 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 former 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 one the school’s most transformative teen experiences available to a new generation of youngsters.
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. 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 of course there are the daily revelations that come from discovering the area’s vibrant ports, cultural sites, and flavorful 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. 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 crew members come back and do it again.
—Elevating young lives since 1992—
new skills • new perspectives • new adrenaline rushes • new self-esteem
Transportation available to and from Paris airports | No sailing experience necessary | Safety record: impeccable