Chad Hough
Sail Consultant
Muskegon, MI
chough@quantumsails.com
619-808-2423
Chadwick jumped on his first sailboat at age three and has never stopped following his passion. He chose to pursue a career in various aspects of the sailing world for the past 25 years, most recently landing him as a member of the Quantum team, racing professionally and working with the team to develop programs in racing and cruising on both coasts and the Great Lakes.
Chadwick grew up in Michigan, sailing scows on Spring Lake. As a young boy, he crewed for parents, sailed his own boats, and won the Butterfly National Championships when he was 12 years old. Sailing continued through college, where he led the sailing team at Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City. After college, Chadwick moved west to pursue ski racing in the winter and the Inland Lake Yachting Association and Western Michigan Yachting Association scow circuits in the summer. In the mid-90s, he began working for sailboat manufacturer Johnson Boat Works in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, racing and selling scows.
Chadwick then set his sights on the Olympics, and he left Johnson Boat Works to race in the 49er class. He made the U.S. sailing team for three years, but he eventually lost during the Olympic trials. Immediately following his Olympic campaign, Chadwick was offered a job with North Sails in 2000. For nearly 20 years, Hough worked at North Sails in many capacities, from one-design and service manager to big boat salesperson, loft manager, and sailing professional.
Chadwick's professional sailing experience is extensive. Among his career highlights to date: seven Transpacific Yacht races, three Pacific Cups, six Chicago-to-Mackinac races, second overall in the Cape Town-to-Rio race, and a Top 5 placement in three Etchell World Championships. Chadwick has also had success in one-design classes as well as big boat offshore racing.
Chadwick brings to Quantum a unique skill set for helping sailors get the optimal performance out of their boats, from setting the rig tune-up on high-end race boats to applying techniques for the cruising sector. When Chadwick is not racing professionally, he enjoys racing various scows with his teenage son and daughter. When he isn't sailing, Chadwick enjoys the outdoor winter activities Michigan has to offer. Chadwick's well-rounded background in customer service and sales and loft management, along with his lifelong passion for racing and sailmaking, are assets he brings to Quantum as a valuable member of the team.