The close-up sighting of a majestic tall ship often has one in awe, not unlike the feeling conjured up standing on a windswept beach looking out over a stormy ocean. There is something about this throwback to the age of sail that captures the imagination and lifts us to a special place, even if only momentarily.
Sail250 America: a multiple port gathering of dozens of tall ships in celebration of our Nation’s 250th anniversary.
The Chesapeake Bay has been blessed with two main ports of call for the visiting Fleet, Norfolk from June 19 to 23 and Baltimore from June 25 to 28. In addition, some of the fleet will visit other Bay ports including Alexandria, Cape Charles, Chesapeake, Hampton, Onancock, Portsmouth, Richmond, Smithfield, and Yorktown, VA. Virginia Beach will get into the spirit as host of the international fleet of ships at the Lynnhaven Anchorage prior to the parade of sail into downtown Norfolk. As you can imagine, there will be land-side festivals adjoining all tall ship visits on the Bay. Fun is at hand!
Let’s talk about that parade of sail. On Friday June 19 from the Lynnhaven Anchorage, the fleet promenaded in full dress (cadets manning the yards) into downtown Norfolk before docking there. As they arrived, they were to be “announced” by an overflight of the Blue Angels.
If you have never witnessed this combination of old and new arriving simultaneously on and above the Elizabeth River in downtown Norfolk, it is a sight to behold. There is nothing quite like those majestic ships of yore and a half dozen FA-18 Super Hornets screaming down the river at 500 feet. Gives me goosebumps…
Let’s travel back in history to see how this massive demonstration of sail power came to be.
In the early 1960s Operation Sail, OpSail for short, was founded. It had the blessing and endorsement of then President John F. Kennedy. The non-profit organization was established with the express purpose of fostering global goodwill amid growing Cold War tensions. The organization’s route to that mission was promoting cooperation between nations as well as celebrating maritime history and sail training efforts around the world.
The OpSail website describes it this way: “OpSail promotes goodwill, camaraderie, and cooperation among nations. The events also provide sail training, which teaches steadfastness, initiative, courage, leadership, and discipline. The events also give sailing enthusiasts an opportunity to gather and share their knowledge and traditions.”
The first OpSail gathering of tall ships adjoined the 1964 World’s Fair in New York. Boating Magazine, in its early 1964 issue included an article titled “Gathering of Great Ships” by Anthony Anable, Jr. The article noted the historical juxtaposition of sail training in a modern world: “In this modern age of nuclear power and Polaris missiles, it may seem odd that so many nations train their naval and merchant marine cadets under sail.” From then to now, many governments continue to support military sail training. Fifteen of them will grace the Bay in June.
The United States has been included in six OpSail visits and their naturally associated festivals:
- 1964 World’s Fair
- 1976 United States Bicentennial
- 1986 Statue of Liberty Centennial
- 1992 Columbus Quincentennial
- 2000 Celebration of the New Millennium
- 2012 War of 1812 and “The Star-Spangled Banner” Bicentennial
The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Eagle has been the host vessel for all six OpSail events. She will lead the upcoming Sail250 events as well. Photo by Norfolk Festevents, Ltd.
A famous sailor who had some small success in television news, Walter Cronkite, said this of OpSail: “Operation Sail reminds us that ships brought so many of our ancestors to the Americas, brought cultures and commodities across oceans, brought us to that critical pitch of communication and commerce that has made today’s global awareness possible. Operation Sail has allowed us to see clearly how vessels from all lands—the voyaging canoes of Polynesia, the junks and sampans of Asia, the dhows of the Arab world, the barques and full-riggers of Europe and America—connected and transformed the world.”
OpSail has passed the proverbial baton to Sail250 America. Sail250 is a consortium of five local organizations that represent the major ports of call (New Orleans, LA; Norfolk, VA; Baltimore, MD; New York, NY; and Boston, MA).
This month, our very own Chesapeake Bay hosts two of the five main events along with ancillary port calls by smaller portions of the fleet. For more updates, visit sail250.org, sail250md.org, and sail250virginia.com.
by Mike Pitchford
