"I am looking forward eagerly to Operation Sail. The sight of so many ships gathered from the distant corners of the world should remind us that the strong, disciplined, and venturesome still can find their way safely across uncertain and stormy seas."-President John F. Kennedy, May 1963Tall Ship Odysseys is published to coincide with the unprecedented gathering of the world's most majestic sailing ships from more than thirty countries parading together along America's shorelines, anchoring at multiple ports of call from New Orleans to New York, Boston, and beyond from 2012 to 2015. Tens of millions of visitors will attend, and even more will be intrigued by major worldwide media events. This official companion book is an extravagantly illustrated history of Operation Sail including the 2012 sailing, elegantly presented through rich archival and full-color photographs; firsthand accounts of the vessels, their captains, and crews; and the rewards of life at sea.