OpSail is bringing 17 tall ships to New York in May!

Coast Guard Cutter Eagle under full sail off the coast of Puerto Rico.
credit: U.S. COAST GUARD SLIDE, BROWN, TELFAIR H. PA1

Excitement is building as planning and preparations for OpSail 2012 ramp up. Next month, OpSail tall ships will sail into New York Harbor for the first time in 12 years.

Read OpSail 2012′s press release where Operation Sail executive director Chris O’Brien said, “OpSail is bringing the tall ships of the world back to New York,” said Chris O’Brien. “Majestic tall sailing ships have always been a centerpiece of joint OpSail/U.S. Navy commemorations and the bicentennial of the War of 1812 and the writing of The Star-Spangled Banner provides the perfect context for this memorable occasion.”

On the morning of May 23, a flotilla of 17 tall ships and 10 warships will sail from the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, up the North River (Hudson River) to the George Washington Bridge and back.

From the Press Room of OpSail.org: “The tall ships include the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter EAGLE; KRI DEWARUCI of Indonesia, JUAN SEBASTIAN DE ELCANO of Spain, GLORIA of Colombia, GUAYAS of Ecuador, CISNE BRANCO of Brazil, CUAUHTEMOC of Mexico, and ETOILE and BELLE POULE, both of France.”

Special Opsail 2012 Tall Ships Hidden Harbor® Tour May 22nd Only! Working Harbor Committee will be offering a special OpSail tour of some of the anchored vessels, on May 22, the evening before the Parade of Ships. See several international tall ships from around the world close up at anchor south of the Verrazano Bridge, as they gather in preparation for the big parade on the 23rd. Expert guest narrators will talk about the vessels, their history and inside stories. Click here for tickets.

If like me, you are impatiently awaiting the arrival of these tall ships, OpSail has a photo gallery of some of the vessels that will be part of the OpSail New York festivities.

I came across this youtube video of the press conference officiated by OpSail executive director Chris O’Brien at South Street Seaport. If you watch it to the end, you will hear him announce a wonderful surprise at the 5:55 mark.