Tall Ships Sail Toward a Record

If predictions hold, it will dwarf the Spanish Armada, the Normandy invasion fleet and every regatta ever held--as many as 70,000 watercraft jammed into New York Harbor for what organizers call the “largest maritime event in history.”

At the center of the weeklong affair beginning July 3 is Operation Sail 2000, the latest gathering of wind-powered “tall ships.” This year, about 150 sailing vessels from 60 nations will share attention with about 55 modern warships in an International Naval Review, the sixth in 107 years. Gotham is the most important port of call in the tall ships’ nine-week coastal cruise, which began May 25 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and ends July 31 in Portland, Maine, with stops (including free ship tours) in Miami; Norfolk, Va.; Baltimore; Philadelphia; and New London, Conn.

About 15 tall ships left San Juan; the contingent is expected to grow to about 150 by New York, organizers said. But most of the watercraft expected in New York will consist of thousands of commercial and private yachts, sailboats, cabin cruisers and other small craft. On July 4, President Clinton will review the sea parade, and there will be holiday fireworks. Information: Operation Sail Inc., tel. (202) 955-5850, Internet https://www.opsail2000.org.