Operation Sail's 2026 America250 celebration listed five U.S. port-call cities.
The planned itinerary included New Orleans, Norfolk, Baltimore, New York City, and Boston. The ships were expected to make port calls and race from port to port as part of a large gathering of tall ships marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.
The schedule stretched from late May into July. New Orleans was listed first, followed by Norfolk and Baltimore, then New York City around July 4 and Boston later in July.
Operation Sail is a recurring maritime celebration associated with major American anniversaries. Its 2026 edition was presented as the largest gathering of tall ships since the 1976 Bicentennial. The five-city count refers to listed U.S. locations, not the number of vessels or the number of countries represented by participating ships.