Penguin

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.