Born in the United States, Chris Rast has lived in Switzerland since he was two years old. A certified Swiss toolmaker and engineer with a degree from the University of California-San Diego, Chris says his education provided the cornerstones to his successful sailing campaigns.

His first Olympic campaign was in 1996 in the 470, followed by two more Olympic appearances in the 49er, one sailing for Switzerland and one for the U.S. A winner of multiple national, European, and World championships, he continuously seeks to challenge himself with new objectives. In 2006, he started sailing –and winning – in the Melges 24 fleeting, including the 2015 Melges 24 World Championship.

In addition to his sailing credits, Chris is also an experienced coach, coaching the Swiss Olympic team in 2000. He was the project manager for performance-driven programs like the Alinghi Decision 35 and the EFT Sailing Team. Along with his wife Danielle, he also runs Swiss Performance Sailing, LLC.

As Quantum’s Melges 24 Class Expert, Chris will help all clients improve on the race course. He doesn’t only work with the professional teams – he’s available to anyone familiar with or just discovering the fleet. “The class lives and dies not by the professionals or the top teams, but those teams that make up the middle of the rankings,” said Chris. “We really want to support the Corinthian teams and the teams that need a little bit of advice to do well around the race course. I like helping teams and helping them get better. That’s what I’m really looking forward to.”

“Since its inception, the Melges 24 has been such a fun boat to sail in regards to its performance. It goes well upwind, and downwind it’s a hoot,” he said. “If you’re looking for a class where you get to sail not only against other Corinthian teams, but also against fully professional teams – people like Jimmy Spithill, Vince Brun, Morgan Larson, and Terry Hutchinson – get yourself a Melges 24 and you can go against the world’s best.”

Maxim started working in the Quantum Russia office in 2010 after a lifetime of sailing experiences. He started sailing on Optimist boats when he was six years old and became a champion sailor. He is a two-time All-Japan Mini Hopper and Sea Hopper Junior Champion, two-time Quarter Ton class All-Russia Champion, and the 2008 Dragon European Champion. Maxim is also experienced on Cadet, 470, 49er and RC44 boats. When he's not sailing, Maxim also coaches, including the Russian Yngling class for the 2008 Olympics.

When Maxim decided to transition into selling sails, he chose Quantum because of its state-of-the-art design and development, as well as Quantum's reputation for quality. He is excited to work with new and repeat clients to help everyone find the fastest, most competitive sails.