New Orleans Launches Sail 250 With 295-Foot Eagle and 3,000-Person USS Kearsarge

4 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 31

New Orleans opened Sail 250 this week as tall ships and military vessels lined the Mississippi River for the first stop in a nationwide celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.
The public centerpiece included the 295-foot USCGC Eagle—America’s Tall Ship—with 23 sails, six miles of rigging and about 150 Coast Guard trainees learning seamanship aboard the only active square-rigger in U.S. government service.
Docked nearby, the USS Kearsarge showcased modern naval operations with roughly 3,000 personnel—about 1,250 sailors and 1,800 Marines—plus firefighting drills, flight operations, a 39-person surgical team and capacity for around eight F-35s.
Ceremonial ship horns and a 21-gun salute marked the kickoff, while crews framed the event as both a public display of military life and a link between early American history and current service.
Sail 250 now moves up the East Coast, with upcoming stops in Norfolk, Baltimore, New York and Boston.

How does training on an 80-year-old sailing ship prepare cadets for modern maritime threats?

As tall ships tour the coast, can this event recapture the unifying spirit of 1976?

What are the unseen challenges of managing a floating city of 3,000 sailors and Marines?