Overview
- Sail 250 launched in New Orleans on Thursday with more than 3,000 service members and international crews arriving to open a five-day public festival of tall ships and naval vessels.
- The New Orleans program runs through June 1 and features ship tours, Navy and Marine Corps band performances, community outreach, static displays, a Blessing of the Fleet and fireworks.
- Baltimore will host 14 international tall ships and a unique Martin State Airport air show that will include multiple precision teams, including the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, for events planned in late June.
- Organizers say the flotilla will continue up the Eastern Seaboard to Norfolk and New York before more than 60 tall ships gather in Boston Harbor for a Parade of Sail and weeklong events from July 11–16.
- Host cities and waterfront businesses are preparing for large crowds with extra staff, tourist promotions and free public tours, and organizers emphasize crowd management and educational outreach to maximize local economic and community benefits.