Sixteen tall ships sailed to New York for the Grand Parade of Sailing Ships during Operation Sail 1976.
The 1976 event was part of the United States Bicentennial, the national commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. At the time, relatively few tall ships remained in service worldwide, making the arrival of 16 major square-rigged school ships a notable maritime gathering.
The ships represented several countries, including the United States, Italy, Norway, Japan, Portugal, Chile, Colombia, and Argentina. They joined 113 supporting vessels listed in the official Operation Sail fleet program. The tall ships and accompanying vessels formed a major parade in New York Harbor.
Operation Sail events are often associated only with the 1976 Bicentennial, but the series began in 1964 and returned in later anniversary years. The 2026 America250 program was promoted as the largest gathering of tall ships since the 1976 event.