Sixteen tall ships joined the 1976 Operation Sail parade in New York for the United States Bicentennial.
Operation Sail brought an international fleet to New York Harbor as part of the 200th-anniversary celebrations. The tall ships sailed in a grand parade, creating one of the Bicentennial’s most recognizable maritime spectacles.
The 16 principal square-rigged school ships came from countries including Italy, Norway, Poland, Chile, Colombia, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, and the United States. They were supported by 113 additional vessels, so the entire fleet was much larger than the headline number of tall ships.
The event is often remembered through photographs of sailing ships passing the Statue of Liberty. A new Operation Sail, known as OpSail 2026, is also planned in connection with America250, linking the 2026 celebration with the maritime tradition of 1976.