Quantum Sails Traverse City

Growing up on Grand Traverse Bay, Peter Norcross spent his childhood sailing the Great Lakes with family, friends, and neighbors. He spent his earlier years simply cruising around, but where ever there were two boats, there was a race, so he easily shifted gears. Over the years, he’s raced Optimists, Lasers, Lightnings, J/24s, J/29s, and Beach Cats, plus DN ice boats during the winter.

Not only is Peter comfortable on the water, he’s also an accomplished sailmaker. He learned to make sails with Quantum Sails owner Ed Reynolds. Peter started making and designing sails at the beginning of computer aided design/manufacturing, and has done just about everything in the business. He even spent ten years selling sail cloth with Bainbridge International. When he returned to Traverse City in 2008, he also returned to Quantum Sails.

When Peter works with a client, it’s an educational process. He takes the time to share his knowledge of the industry and trends to bring clients up to speed on the latest designs and technology so they can make the most informed decisions. Because of his extensive experience in the industry, Peter excels at helping his customers figure out exactly what they want, as well as what they need.

George Peet grew up sailing on the Great Lakes. In college he was a three-time All-American ski racer. After college, Peet left ski racing to pursue sailboat racing full-time. Peet has dedicated the past 20 years of his life to racing sailboats professionally and working on the design of cutting-edge technologies. He sailed around the world in the Volvo Ocean Race, is a two-time World Champion, and holds multiple world distance sailing records and national and regional titles in competitive one-design fleets and individually in the Moth Class.

When not racing professionally or on the hunt for a new speed record on his Moth or ice boat, you can find Peet tackling the humbling challenge of racing 100-year-old wooden sailboats (NMs) every summer in his hometown of Harbor Springs, Michigan, or coaching youth ski racers at the local ski hills.

Dave Gerber is an experienced sailing professional, coach, and instructor based in Traverse City, MI, where he offers technical sales support and consultation for Quantum Sails.

Dave began working with Quantum Sails President Ed Reynolds in Northern Michigan before the company existed. They began working together at Reynolds Sail Company in Traverse City and then with Sobstad Sails and Shore Sails before Reynolds co-founded Quantum Sails in 1996.

In 2007, Dave left the sailmaking world to sail professionally. He has won multiple National, North American, and World Championships in the J/22, J/24, J/111, Melges 24 and Farr 40 classes. In addition to sailing, Dave has directed sailing programs and coached youth, high school, and adult teams at Traverse Area Community Sailing, Chicago Yacht Club, and Little Traverse Sailors in Harbor Springs, MI.

In 2022, Dave returned to Quantum Sails. He uses his varied background and expertise to help clients get the most out of their sailing experiences. "Something I truly enjoy about sailing and working in the marine industry is our shared passion for the water," said Dave. "It's wonderful to see people I’ve helped enjoy sailing and their time on the lakes, seas, and oceans."

Sean McDowell grew up in central Michigan. He attended Central Michigan University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in outdoor recreation. After college, Sean worked as a backpacking guide and lived in places like the mountains of Virginia, Wyoming, and New Hampshire. Sean and his family moved back to Michigan when their daughter was young to be closer to family.

Sean was introduced to sailing and sailmaking when he began working at Quantum Sails and now enjoys occasionally sailing his Sunfish. Through his time at the loft, Sean has learned various service and sailmaking skills. Initially doing graphic design work for sail graphics, Sean is now also the Service Manager at the Traverse City loft. “Quantum is a great place to work because it is a positive supportive environment. I’ve enjoyed the people I’ve worked with and my time at Quantum so far.”

Kai Dolan was born and raised in Traverse City, Michigan. Growing up surrounded by water and with a dad who was a dedicated sailor, Kai was exposed to the sport from a young age. She began sailing in the local Traverse Area Community Sailing (TACS) program, and she was immediately hooked. Kai worked her way through the program over the years, moving from Optis and Lasers to 420s and Melges 24s. A year after completing the program at TACS, she began working there, teaching kids the same way she was taught. Kai then began sailing at her local yacht club on Wednesday nights and weekends and racing on her high school sailing team.

Kai enjoys buoy racing on one-design boats such as Interlakes and Melges 24s and offshore racing on J/111s and bigger boats like Farr 395s throughout Michigan. After taking a break from racing the last couple of years, Kai is excited to get back on the water.

In the latter half of 2020, Kai joined Quantum on a contracted, part-time basis as a Client Care Representative. Her role shifted throughout the years and now she is focused on marketing but will still be in the loft to greet and help customers. "I'm excited for my future in the industry, both with my personal sailing and at Quantum. I'm lucky to have found a group of people I enjoy working with and who I continuously learn from."