Sixteen international tall ships joined the 1976 Operation Sail parade in New York.
Operation Sail 1976 was a major maritime event held as part of the United States Bicentennial. The participating square-rigged school ships sailed into New York Harbor for a grand parade on Independence Day. Their tall masts and traditional rigging created one of the most memorable visual spectacles of the anniversary.
The 16 principal tall ships included vessels such as Italy’s Amerigo Vespucci, Germany’s Gorch Fock, Spain’s Juan Sebastián de Elcano, and Chile’s Esmeralda. They represented maritime nations and naval training traditions from around the world.
The number 16 refers to the principal tall ships in the parade, not every vessel connected with the event. The 1976 program also listed 113 supporting vessels in the wider Op Sail fleet. That difference is a common source of confusion when the event’s ship totals are reported.