Crystal Sail Award

Published 6:07pm on 13 Nov 2025

Sharon Sites Adams was the first woman to sail solo from Los Angeles to Hawaii in 1965. Then later in 1969, she sailed from Japan to San Diego. Sharon was awarded the Crystal Sail Award in the early 1970s. She donated the sculpture to Oregon Women's Sailing Association (OWSA) to honor volunteerism. 

In the spirit of this generous donation, OWSA awards a yearly recipient with this honor. A plaque with the recipients name and year of the award is adhered to the base of the Crystal Sail award. The recipient then becomes the caretaker of the award and can proudly display it in their home until the following year when a new recipient is nominated. The 2025 recipient was chosen by OWSA members who nominated individuals they felt contributed to the mission. 

This years recipient is an individual who has not only kept the business of OWSA flowing smoothly through her Board position as the Operations Director, but has also empowered women through sailing as a lead in our BOAST program (Boat Ownership and Skipper Training). We thank Kathy Clevenger for her continued support of OWSAs mission and congratulate her on being nominated by her peers to receive this outstanding award.