Karen Prioleau honored with 2026 BoatUS/NWSA Leadership in Women's Sailing Award

Karen Prioleau, the 2026 BoatUS and National Women's Sailing Association Leadership in Women's Sailing Award recipient © National Women's Sailing Association

In 1999, the Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) and the National Women's Sailing Association (NWSA) created an annual award recognizing a man or a woman for a record of achievement in inspiring, educating and enriching the lives of women through sailing.

The organizations are proud to announce Karen Prioleau of Newport Beach, California as the 2026 award recipient. Her unyielding dedication to educating sailors, exceptional leadership skills and a lifetime of work to promote opportunities for women make her a worthy recipient of the award. Her leadership has inspired countless women to endeavor to serve the sailing community as professionals mariner careers on large private and charter yachts, cruise ships, passenger ferries, whale watching vessels and as instructors.

Karen started sailing and instructing as a young girl at Long Beach Sea Base in Long Beach, California. Later, she and her family accomplished cruising internationally on their 1938 wooden sailboat. Upon sailing home to California, Karen joined the faculty at Orange Coast College (OCC), in Costa Mesa, California, eventually retiring as Associate Professor and Professional Mariners Program Coordinator. She coordinated and instructed in the Professional Mariner Program for the last 15 years, following her decade of work with the OCC School of Sailing and Seamanship. At OCC, she coordinated their Offshore Sailing Program and skippered the 65' S/V ALASKA EAGLE with adult sailors on many offshore passages. She recounted, "It was amazing to do the sorts of things as a job!" She was rotated into trips from Hawaii to Alaska, through the Panama Canal, the longest being from Newport Beach, CA to Easter Island. "Learning so much. It was a blast!" In the early years of her long tenure at OCC the professional mariners program consisted of all male students. Over the years women in the program grew and grew to be about 40 percent.

Sought for her training abilities, Karen Prioleau instructed in Safety at Sea trainings on the east and west coast of the US. Karen co-organized a crew-overboard research event in Newport, Rhode Island, in collaboration with the Cruising Club of America, Storm Trysail Club, New York Yacht Club and US Sailing. The event involved four offshore boats of various types evaluating different techniques for locating and rescuing individuals in the water, including nighttime and moderate sea conditions.

Karen Prioleau has been a vital member of the national faculty as Master Instructor of US Sailing for 24 years, contributing to the Keelboat and Powerboat programs. In this role, she has been instrumental in updating the navigational material, an area of sailing that offers opportunities for women of all ages and physical abilities to become proficient.

The award was presented in Newport, Rhode Island, June 16 as Karen prepares for her fourth Newport to Bermuda race, this year aboard S/V SELKIE, sailing with owner and 2018 awardee, Sheila McCurdy. NWSA President Debby Grimm notes, "One pillar of the Leadership in Women's Sailing Award is educating women in the sport of sailing. It was a pleasure meeting Karen Prioleau for the first time at our 2026 conference. She was a valuable instructor and met all our expectations with her knowledge and congeniality. Well-deserved, Karen!"

For more information, visit here and to learn about the accomplishments of past awardees.