Shields

Alan had been involved in the Chesapeake Bay sailing community from an early age. He started his racing career with the Tred Avon Yacht Club at age nine and quickly developed a passion for competitive sailing. Over the years, he has raced a wide variety of boats and classes, including Optis, 420s, Penguins, Stars, Shields, PHRF and offshore programs, one design keelboats, and log canoes.

He has sailed five Newport-to-Bermuda Races and multiple Annapolis-to-Newport Races, earning numerous podium finishes and overall victories along the way. His other racing accomplishments include winning the 2012 Penguin Atlantic Coast Championship, the 2023 Star District 2 Championship, the 2024 Oxford Regatta Lipton Cup, and the 2026 J/29 East Coast Championship. He remains an active Star sailor, offshore racer, and Shields competitor.

Alan grew up working in his family's full-service boatyard before advancing through roles in service and management and transitioning to sailmaking. His career spans time with Evolution Sails and more than a decade with Jenkins Sails, across programs from Star boats to large offshore yachts.

Following Quantum Sails' acquisition of Jenkins Sails in 2026, Alan joined the team as a sail and design consultant. Drawing on his extensive racing background, marine industry experience, and technical sailmaking knowledge, he works closely with sailors throughout the Chesapeake and beyond to maximize performance on the racecourse and enjoyment on the water through sail selection, design consultation, and ongoing program development.

John Jenkins grew up in Baltimore, MD, sailing Penguins and Stars on Gibson Island before beginning his sailmaking career in New York and then Annapolis. He spent 40 years running the sail loft at the United States Naval Academy, designing and building more than 7000 sails for dinghies, cruising boats, and race boats up to 80 feet. His work at the Naval Academy allowed him to race many of the Navy boats, as well as Stars and a Cal 25 locally.

Today, John sails on his Star at the Miles River Yacht Club in St Michaels, MD, and crews on various Log Canoes during their summer racing season. When reflecting on the sailing experiences that shaped him most, John’s mind goes straight to the raw intensity of the 1980 Star Worlds in San Francisco, where he battled extreme conditions, and to the miles that followed: racing Siren Song, an S&S 60, up to Newport, and cruising aboard American Promise, a Hood 61, on the passage to Bermuda.

In 2010, John opened Jenkins Sails, joining forces with Quantum in 2026.

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.

Travis Odenbach brings extensive one-design racing and sailmaking experience to his role as North American One Design Director at Quantum Sails. A native of Rochester, New York, Travis began sailing at age six through the Rochester Yacht Club junior program, progressing from Optis and 420s to Lasers before moving into high-level keelboat racing.

A longtime competitor and class specialist, Travis has built his reputation in one-design racing with particular focus on the J/70, J/24, and J/22 classes, while also competing in boats ranging from Melges 15s to Cape 31s and J/111s. His early years racing the Great Lakes regatta circuit and sailing in Newport's legendary J/24 Fleet 50 gave him the opportunity to compete alongside many of the top sailors in the sport and helped shape the technical and competitive approach he brings to every program.

Travis' accomplishments on the racecourse include winning the J/24 North American Championship and earning multiple podium finishes at J/24 Nationals, North Americans, and World Championships. In the J/22 class, he has posted multiple top-five finishes at both World and North American Championships, while also contributing to three Beneteau First 36.7 North American Championship victories. In 2024, Travis was recognized as a finalist for US Sailing’s Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Award.

His sailmaking career has included roles with Waterline Systems, North Sails, Haarstick Sailmakers, and Quantum Sails, where he developed deep expertise in one-design sail development, construction, cloth testing, and performance consulting. After Haarstick joined Quantum in 2015, Travis became heavily involved in Quantum’s one-design programs, serving as a class coordinator for the J/24 and J/22 classes and working closely with sailors across North America and around the world.

Travis looks forward to helping sailors maximize performance on the racecourse while continuing to strengthen Quantum’s leadership across the one-design community.