A government project working on Brighton's toughest estates has come up with a novel way to tame teenage troublemakers - take them sailing.

eb4u in east Brighton is sending 120 deprived young people on one-day yachting trips.

Thirty will be chosen to sit the first part of a sailing exam and two from the group will be offered 12 weeks' work experience.

The scheme costs a total of £30,000, which includes training to advanced qualification level, instructor training and two full-time jobs.

It is being run as an educational and employment project to show the youngsters a different way of life as well as discipline and teamwork.

Critics have questioned the value of skills at sea to the hunt for work on land. They suggest car maintenance or building courses would be more appropriate.

The money for the scheme has come from eb4u's pot of £47.2 million being spent over ten years.

Mother-of-seven Miriam Binder, from Whitehawk, said: "Perhaps they think if you give these young people a taste of middle England, they will become upstanding people.

"But compared with building or fixing cars, there aren't really many jobs in the sailing industry in Brighton. It's another one of the things that looks good on paper."

The yachting courses are being run by Neilson, a tour operator which has offices in Brighton Marina and organises upmarket yachting, skiing and sailing holidays.

Its web site lists dozens of job opportunities abroad but none in the UK.

Eddie Cope, a former resident director of eb4u and a governor for Comart, said young people should be sent on training courses where they learn tangible skills.

He asked: "What can these young people learn in one day?"

A spokeswoman for Neilson said the courses were designed to show young people the range of opportunities available in the leisure industry.

She said: "The whole idea is motivation, not just the sailing side."

A spokesman for eb4u said: "The sports and leisure industry is one of the biggest employers in the Brighton area and this is a fantastic opportunity for young people.

"Increasing employment opportunities is the make or break for eb4U which is why we are working on a number of projects aimed at widening career choices in a host of different industries."

eb4u, a not-for-profit organisation, came under fire last year for spending thousands of pounds on "esoteric" projects, including homeopathy for children and ear acupuncture sessions.