Operation Sail was the international sailing-ship parade held in New York Harbor during the 1976 United States Bicentennial.
Often shortened to Op Sail, the event brought tall ships and naval vessels from many countries together for a maritime celebration. The 1976 gathering took place on Independence Day and formed one of the most visually striking parts of the Bicentennial program.
President Gerald Ford reviewed the international fleet from the guided-missile cruiser USS Wainwright as ships assembled in New York Harbor. The parade included famous sailing vessels such as Italy’s Amerigo Vespucci and Norway’s Christian Radich, along with ships representing numerous nations.
The 1976 event was not the first Operation Sail. The initial Operation Sail took place in 1964, and later editions were organized for other major anniversaries. The Bicentennial gathering is especially notable because it combined maritime tradition, international participation, and the anniversary’s central Independence Day celebrations.