Tall Ship Odysseys: Fifty Years of Operation Sail

Book excerpt: Tall Ship Odysseys is the story of Operation Sail, organized in 1963 and first endorsed by President John F. Kennedy. This distinguished volume encompasses scores of sailing vessels, their crews, and the indivdiuals dedicated to making each OpSail occasion more spectacular than the last for millions of cheering spectators. Chapter by chapter, the text documents each event, while hundreds of historical and full-color photographs capture magnificent windjammers, from America's training ship, the USCGC Eagle, to her counterparts from Britain, Russia, Ecuador, Japan, and other seafaring nations across the globe. Atmospheric vignettes and colorful portfolios explore selected vessels and the allure of life under canvas. This book is the log of Operation Sail, racing forward like a great clipper with all set and a bone in her teeth, at once a work of art and a fascinating testament to human ingenuity and the courage of those who challenge the restless oceans of the world.