Sail250

Participants

The US Coast Guard tall ship Eagle will act as the flagship leading the fleet of participating vessels.^[7] Besides naval vessels of the US Navy, US Coast Guard and allied nations, some of the participating tall ships include:^{[a][8][9][10]}

During the events, Eagle and her remaining sister ships will also meet again for the first time since 1976.^[11]

Sister ships of USCGC Eagle participating in Sail250

Gorch Fock

Mircea

NRP Sagres

New Orleans (May 27 – June 1)

The tour opened at the Port of New Orleans, where ships arrived on the Mississippi riverfront on May 28. The celebrations took five days, during which free tours aboard the ships were offered. Firework shows and a seafood cook-off took place, a Blessing of the Ships ceremony closed the activities on June 1.^[12] The event was attended by more than 3,000 US servicemen and international partner personnel, and marked the largest assembly of tall ships on the Mississippi river.^[13]

Norfolk (June 12–23)

The second event was Sail250 Virginia, organized by Norfolk Festevents, which brought 55 ships from 20 nations with about 10,000 officers, cadets, and crew to Hampton Roads. Affiliate harbors at Cape Charles, Hampton, Smithfield and Yorktown hosted visiting ships from June 12. The main Parade of Sail into downtown Norfolk occurred on June 19, coinciding with Juneteenth and the 50th annual Norfolk Harborfest, and the ships were opened for free tours until the fleet departed on June 23-24.^[6][14][15]

Baltimore (June 24 – July 1)

SAIL250 Maryland & Air Show Baltimore, produced by the Living Classrooms Foundation and Historic Ships in Baltimore, combined 14 international tall ships and some 40 vessels overall with the only air show of the Sail250. The Blue Angels, the Red Arrows, the Patrouille de France and the F-16 Viper Demo Team are performed over the harbor, with ships berthed at the Inner Harbor's Harborplace, Fells Point and other locations.^[8][16]

New York (July 3–8)

The Sail4th 250 program covers the July 4 weekend. Class B tall ships parade down the East River on July 3; on July 4 the seventh International Naval Review in US history is followed by a Parade of Sail in which more than 30 Class A ships, led by USCGC Eagle, pass from the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge past the Statue of Liberty up the Hudson River to the George Washington Bridge. An international aerial review will also take place overhead, with more than 100 aircraft taking part led by the Blue Angels. Ships are open to the public on July 5–7 at piers in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island and New Jersey, and several ships depart on a race to Boston for the International Perpetual Challenge Cup.^[4][5][17]

The Class A tall ships will depart for Boston on July 8. On the same day, the "Five Sisters Cup" tall ship race will start, during which the USCGC Eagle and her sister ships will race from New York to Boston.^[17]

Boston (July 11–16)

Sail Boston 2026, the tour finale, expects about 60 tall ships and military vessels from more than 20 countries, with organizers projecting 4 to 5 million visitors. The Parade of Sail enters Boston Harbor on July 11, followed by free public tours, a crew and cadet street parade and harbor fireworks; the Massachusetts state government committed 4 million dollars for infrastructure and public safety. Previous Sail Boston events were held in 1992, 2000, 2009 and 2017.^[1][18]