Operation Sail was the international tall-ship fleet parade held during the 1976 bicentennial, predecessor to America250.
The event, also called Op Sail, brought tall-masted sailing ships from several nations together for the United States’ 200th anniversary. The main gathering took place in New York City on Independence Day before the fleet moved to Boston about a week later.
The New York celebration also included an International Naval Review. President Gerald Ford sailed into New York Harbor aboard a guided-missile cruiser and reviewed visiting warships near Liberty Island.
Operation Sail is easy to confuse with Fleet Week, a recurring naval public-outreach event held in several cities. Sail Boston is a later maritime event associated with tall ships, while Tall Ships America is an organization rather than the name of the 1976 parade.