Quantum Sails San Diego

A San Diego native, Andrew grew up sailing on his dad's Catalina 30. After racing in high school, he became a sailing instructor for the San Diego State University Sailing Team program on Mission Bay. Andrew managed the SDSU sailing program and later the J World sailing school in San Diego as well. For the last five years, Andrew has worked as sailmaker and loft service manager. His 15+ years of sailing instruction and loft management exemplify his passion for both being on the water and customer service.

Andrew is active in the local PHRF, offshore, and one-design racing fleets, which help his customers get the most out of their time on the water. When not sailing, Andrew enjoys spending time paddle-boarding and surfing.

Eric Heim grew up in Dana Point, California, with a family who loved the water. He began sailing with his dad on beach catamarans and then started his racing career in the prestigious Naples Sabot Class, a class native to Southern California. After gaining more knowledge and experience, he began sailing with the local J/24 Class. Eric competed on weekends and raced with whomever would take him, eventually earning the opportunity to travel to J/24 regattas all over the West Coast.

At just 16 years old, Eric was offered a job with a sailmaker in Newport Beach, California. After learning the craft from the old guard in the established lofts in the area, it was time to hone his skills on the professional circuit. He spent a few years diversifying his skill set so he could be an asset to all types of sailors for years to come.

He returned to the sailmaking world in 2006 as a Big Boat Sales Representative for Quantum Sails San Diego. In 2009, Eric became the loft’s Production Manager. During his time in San Diego, he started a family and continued to campaign in several one-design classes.

Eric returns to Quantum with many years of service, sales, and production knowledge. His broad background allows him to help any customer − cruiser or racer − create the best experience on the water. He is comfortable on just about any boat, from dinghies and small keelboats to offshore race machines. Eric still loves to race Sabots and enjoys cruising the southern California coast with his wife and two kids, both budding Sabot racers themselves.

Growing up in Charleston, South Carolina, Carter fell in love with sailboat racing at a young age. He sailed Optis and Club 420s but his favorite racing boat was the Lightning. He sailed for the College of Charleston where he was coached by legendary sailmaker Greg Fisher. Carter was a skipper and starting heavy crew at Charleston and was nominated for the Robert H. Hobbs Sportsman of the Year in 2019 for college sailing. It was during his time at the College of Charleston that Carter realized his passion for the art of sailmaking and the science behind sail design.

Carter graduated in 2019 and moved to Annapolis to work with Quantum Sails as a service sailmaker. He quickly integrated himself into the Mid-Atlantic one-design sailing scene, excelling in the Snipe and Lightning classes. Carter also has experience with Viper 640s, E Scows, and high school and collegiate dinghies.

After spending 2 years at the loft in Annapolis, Carter moved to Quantum Sails San Diego to be a One Design Sailmaker under Mark Reynolds and George Szabo. In San Diego, Carter focuses on the production, R&D, and sales of One Design Sails with the goal of providing the best sails to our clients.

Carter enjoys giving back to the sport. He's a member of the Under 30 Committee for the U.S. Snipe Class, and enjoys coaching clinics, running regattas, and leading webinars. Carter is ready to help you maximize your potential in One Design sailing and any of your sailing needs.

From learning to sail at eight years of age to winning the Junior Women's National Championship (Leiter Cup) at 15, Lynsi Gibbons realized early on that racing was her passion. She fell in love with the sport when sailing as a girl on the Maumee River in Ohio. She started on Optimists, FJs, and Lasers while venturing out with local pros to Interlake, Flying Scot, and Lightning regattas throughout the Midwest. She participated in the Junior sailing programs at Jolly Roger and North Cape Yacht Club throughout her younger days. All the sailing took a toll, and Lynsi decided to take a few years off. After her hiatus, Lynsi taught at multiple yacht clubs, eventually landing in California to teach at San Diego Yacht Club. After a perfect summer of sailing on the San Diego Bay, she decided to move there permanently and has since created a wonderful life with her husband and two kids.

Lynsi has raced competitively in many inshore, offshore, and one-design programs in San Diego. Since 2017, she has volunteered her time in the local racing community as the Cortez Racing Associations' Membership Director. She also keeps busy racing a Beneteau First 40 and her Snipe out of Mission Bay Yacht Club.

Lynsi has over 30 years racing experience as well as extensive knowledge of the sailmaking industry after working for 10 years at North Sails. Now as a Sail Consultant at the San Diego loft, she aims to build stellar customer experiences from the very first engagement. "Quantum customers can expect my very best, most attentive service while I work closely with cloth manufacturers, sail designers, and long-time salespeople to build the right product for any sailing style and sailor," says Lynsi.

Certifications and Clinics:

-US Sailing Instructor Certification, 4 years
-ISAF Safety at Sea with Hands-On Training Certification
-North U Tactics and North U Trim Seminars
-Peter Isler Weather Mapping Seminar
-North U Match Racing Clinic
-American Cross First Aid CPR Certified