Two centuries of sail

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34047, 10 January 1976, Page 9

Two centuries of sail

HOWARD W. YOUNG

At least 19 nations will participate in America’s “Operation Sail 1976” as part of the country’s bicentennial celebration.

More than 200 sailing ships and a like number of modern warships will gather from various parts of the world for a New York Harbour regatta on July 4. The vessels will berth in Manhattan for the next four days, open to the public, and then make port calls on another 20 United States cities before returning to their home bases. Included among the ships will be 13 “tall windjammers” — two and three-masted vessels with square-rigged sails of the old tradition and measuring 200 feet or longer. The largest is Italy’s fullrigged naval training ship Amerigo Vespucci (333 feet) closely followed by' Japan’s four-masted barque Nippon Maru (318 feet). The smallest is the: little American schooner; Galleons Lap, at 31 feet, barely big enough to weather the wake of the; big ships. “This promises to be a spectacle unequalled any-1 where in the world,” said; Emil (Bus) MosbacherJ junior, former United; States Chief of Protocol and twice successful defender of the yachting prize, America’s Cup, who is the chairman of “Operation Sail 1976.” “Al! maritime nations have been invited to participate,” the chairman said. The Soviet Union has agreed to send two four-masted barques and one three-masted barque,; all more than 200 feet long, he said, adding that Romania and Yugoslavia may sign up as well. The Navy Secretary (J.; William Middendorf) an- i nounced that the United States Navy would send a

flotilla led by an aircraft carrier to pass in review. The last naval review in the United States was held in 1957 in Hampton Roads, Virginia, on the 350th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, the first colonial settlement in the New World.

This year’s review will be “the largest ever in America,” according to the Navy' Secretary. “This one will eclipse them all,” he said. The United States Navy will co-host the parade of ships with “Operation Sail 1976,” which is a non-government, non-pro-fit group established especially to mark the Bicentennial on the water. Its internationl fleet of

ships will assemble at Plymouth, England, to begin the journey to the United States on May 2. First stop will be Lisbon, then the Canary Islands, and from there they will race to Bermuda. Then the fleet will proceed to Newport. Rhode Island, where a two-day programme will be sponsored jointly by the British and American sailtraining associations. The fleet will then set sail for New York City. Most of the ships will go down Long Island Sound and the East River past the United Nations head-

quarters, but those with masts too tall to pass under the East River bridges will have to take the ocean route. On July 4, the whole flotilla, led by the United States Coast Guard’s 295foot three-masted barque Eagle, will sail under the Verrazano Bridge at the Narrows and continue up the Hudson River to the George Washington Bridge. Besides the couple of hundred sailing ships and an anticipated like number of naval vessels from various countries, about 3000 pleasure boats are

expected along the route. Frank O. Braynard. general manager of "Operation Sail 1976," said that New York City was planning lor an influx of five million visitors to view the ships during the review and the four “open-ship” days. Countries which have so far signed up ships to participate in “Operation Sail 1976” are, besides the United States : Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, German Federal Republic, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Soviet Union, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.