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Drawing on his personal experience, Will Sutherland has developed a "learning by doing" pedagogy that finds its full expression in his association QBE. Through courses on traditional sailboats, Marie-Claude and Yseult, two replicas of the pilot cutter l'Alouette, he introduces young people to navigation while preparing them for life with transferable skills. We met him aboard one of them. In Part 2, he discusses the essential aspects of his teaching and highlights the challenges of maintaining pilot cutters.
The importance of teamwork
For Will Shuterland, the aim of QBE's courses is not just to train sailors, but to teach the values of collaboration, leadership and rigor. " At sea, young people need to learn to anticipate, organize and make quick, effective decisions. This prepares them for many other situations in life "he explains. Coordination between the crew is essential to ensure that every manoeuvre is carried out smoothly. Trainees from all over the world (America, Europe, China...) find the sea a unique training ground. " All acquire the ability to adapt and work as part of a team "he adds. The courses, limited to 6 or 7 participants to guarantee personalized attention, run over 2 to 3 weeks. Will explains: " For parents, the most important thing is that their children learn to live together .''
A method based on action
Scottish-born Will's pedagogy is based on an Anglo-Saxon approach known as " At sea, mistakes have real consequences. My role is not to tell them everything, but to let them manage, while being there to guarantee their safety and that of the boat ". "Take me there."he asserts. This technique enables young people to come to grips with the realities of the sea, to learn how to maneuver, and also to develop a keen sense of responsibility. It all starts with simple exercises in the harbor: tying knots, using a cleat, etc. Then the boats are taken out to the shore for a short trial run, where they set the sails and see how everyone is getting on. When they're ready, Will asks them: "
Will insists on the importance of situational simulation: " Sometimes they don't know where it is, but I remind them that all the information is on board. Everything here is real. If there's a mistake, the boat lets you know. It's the perfect environment to learn quickly." They were designed to sail in all conditions, rain or shine, and to return to port even in bad weather " The students don't understand why I never do a briefing. It makes me laugh. In fact, at the end of every outing, I prefer the usefulness of a debriefing rather than explaining everything up front: why did you do that? What would you do differently next time? And after a week, it's amazing to see their progress. ''
Pilot cutters: robustness for teaching purposes
Pilot cutters, historic boats once used to guide larger vessels through dangerous waters, are renowned for their strength and reliability. "L he pilot cutters are stable and, above all, very safe, allowing you to concentrate on technique without constantly worrying about speed. Adjustments on these boats can add 1.5 knots of speed. If they're badly adjusted, they work fine, but they're not optimal "explains Will. Since 2009, the QBE association has owned two of them, Marie-Claude and Yseult, inspired by the plans for the Alouette, a boat built in France in 1891 by François Lemarchand.
These yachts, built in Falmouth, Cornwall, are real learning platforms for the immersion courses offered by QBE. " Old-fashioned sailing demands constant attention. You need to know your rig, how to read the sea, and anticipate every wind change "says Will.
Nevertheless, on board the pilot cutters, every maneuver counts and every mistake can have immediate consequences. " Nevertheless, the youngsters learn to be independent very quickly, as they are immediately confronted with the demands of the sea. "Will insists, before continuing: " This total immersion in boat management builds character and inculcates the fundamental values of rigor, initiative and solidarity .
The challenges of maintaining old rigs
Boat maintenance quickly became an unavoidable priority. "For the participants, daily life on board demands discipline at all times. They are responsible for everything: the helm, the sails, the meals... There's no room for passivity.
With the help of the association's skippers, the youngsters learn to handle traditional boats with auric sails and complex rigging. It's a technical challenge, but also an undeniable return to the roots of sailing for the founder of QBE: "Will points out. Each season begins with a meticulous job: applying antifouling, checking the through-hulls, and so on. These old rigs need constant attention to ensure their performance at sea.
In the 1960s, the transition from wooden to plastic and fiberglass hulls marked a new era for these boats. Despite this modernization, the rest of the boat's structure remained wooden. " Taking boats out of the water every year to check the hull and change certain rigging parts is essential to guarantee their safety and longevity "says Will. Monsieur Dupré, a French architect, commissioned the Alouette, a 28-foot racing model with a flush deck, wider mast and longer bowsprit. This boat, designed to carry a lot of sail, distinguished itself in regattas, notably at L'ARC. After several victories, Dupré asked the builder to make him a larger vessel to accommodate his entire family. The boat sailed from 1891 for 40 years, " They started with small 16-foot boats, then 22-footers and finally 28-footers, which sold well "says Will.
This model, bearing the name Marie-Claude, attracted the attention of an English banker who had a replica built and launched in 2000. Before his untimely death at the age of 55, the builder had begun work on another, even larger boat, but was never able to complete it. " which was exceptional for the time, as a boat generally lasted 20 to 25 years "says Will, proud of the 14-meter boats he acquired in 2009.
