Fourth of July, 1976 — Happy Birthday America: A Day That Will Stand Tall in Memory, by the Daily News

"The euphoria of the July 4 celebration lingered on as thousands upon thousands of New Yorkers and visitors to the city boarded the Tall Ships that participated in the Op Sail salute to the bicentennial. Most visitors waited for hours to get aboard to have the mysteries of studding sails, staysails and spankers explained. The soaring masts caught the winds of imagination for anyone lucky enough to get aboard. It was a day they won't soon forget. And for the youngsters, those tall sails will provide some tall tales when they relate the story of the bicentennial to their children."