Events

1976 marked the first year of Sail Boston.

Tall ships sail into Boston Harbor for Sail Boston 2017. Bill Greene / Globe Staff

A fleet of majestic tall ships will sail into Boston Harbor for Sail Boston 2026, scheduled for July 11th through 16th. 

First announced in 2023, the six-day event will be a key part of the Sail250 Tall Ships tour and a celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary. 

Sail Boston 2026 will host the Sail250 fleet, featuring vessels representing more than 25 countries. The event is expected to be similar in size to the U.S. bicentennial celebration in 1976.

The tall ships arrived in Boston Harbor for Sail Boston 2012. – John Tlumacki/Globe staff

Previous Sail Boston events were held in 1980, 1992, 2000, 2009, 2012, and 2017.

Before 1976, a reigning British monarch had never visited Boston. That changed with the arrival of the tall ships. 

Ships and boats getting ready for Sail Boston 1976.
– George Rizer

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip arrived on the royal yacht Britannia, approximately 412 feet long, and were greeted at the Coast Guard base by former Gov. Michael Dukakis and Boston Mayor Kevin White, according to a 1976 Boston Globe article.

The USS Constitution sails out to meet the Tall Ships in Boston on July 10, 1976. – David L. Ryan/Globe Staff

The 1980 event drew approximately 2 million spectators to the parade of sail, significantly exceeding the turnout for the 1976 event, according to a Globe article from that year.

The Tall Ship Juan Sebastian De Elcano makes its way into Newport Harbor in Rhode Island for Sail Boston 2000.
– Ted Gartlsnd

The 1992 event faced “scattered protests,” as the Globe reported in 2000. Opposition continued into the 2000 event, as many Black Americans voiced that the tall ships were a painful reminder of the transportation of slaves. This reaction frustrated Sail Boston 2000 officials, who maintained that the goal of the event was to celebrate cultural diversity.

The training ship Eagle sails past Castle Island during Sail Boston 1992. – Mark Wilson

Despite the protests, the event continued to draw millions of spectators throughout the years, with high turnouts in 2000, 2009, 2012, and 2017.

Tall Ships arrive at the parade route into the harbor for Sail Boston 2000. – David L Ryan/Globe staff

During the 2017 Sail Boston event, the most prominent U.S. ship was the Eagle, a three-masted white steel barque. This vessel, which is now used for sailor training, was originally seized from Nazi Germany after World War II.

The tall ships parade of sails in Sail Boston 2017 as seen from Lo Presti Park in East Boston. – John Tlumacki/Globe staff

That year, Gov. Charlie Baker commented on the significance of the event, stating that the ships’ procession served as a reminder that “we are, in fact, one world.”

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“It was the ocean that took people from one place to another and brought the world closer together,” he said. 

Crew memebers of the Coast Guard ship Eagle stand high on a mast as the ship passes the custom tower during Sail Boston 2017. – John Tlumacki/Globe staff
The Boston Fire Deptartment fireboats salute with spray during Sail Boston 2017. – John Tlumacki/Globe staff
A farewell crowd on Fan Pier watches the tall ships depart Boston Harbor during Sail Boston 2017. – David L Ryan/Globe Staff
A sailor climbs the rigging go the American Eagle during Sail Boston 2017. – Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff
Visitors walk the deck of the tall ship El Galeon of Spain as they take public tours of tall ships as part of Sail Boston 2017. – Keith Bedford/Globe Staff
Crowds of visitors make their way along Fan Pier to tour ships as part of Sail Boston 2017. – Keith Bedford/Globe Staff

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