Sail South Texas 2010 highlights many special celebrations in the region and the Americas. It commemorates the official transfer of the Unites States Naval Station Ingleside to Port Corpus Christi; the Bicentennial celebration of independence of many Latin American countries; and our United States 234th Independence anniversary.

“Port Corpus Christi has been working on this project for two and a half years. With only a slight delay, the ships are steering clear of Hurricane Alex and the festivities are continuing as planned. Our community will have an amazing opportunity to celebrate independence and to see these tall ships in person,” said Mike Carrell, Chairman, Port Corpus Christi Commission.

The International tall ships participating in the event include the Chilean Esmeralda, the second longest and tallest sailing ship in the world standing at 371 ft long and 159 ft high. Launched on May 12, 1953, the Esmeralda is currently operated by the Chilean Navy to train cadets. The tall ship was constructed in Cadiz, Spain and was originally planned to be Spain’s national training shipuntil the yard suffered from explosions and bankruptcy. As a result, Spain transferred the Esmeralda to the Chilean government in order to repay the debts incurred to Chile during the Spanish Civil War.

Joining the Esmeralda is Mexico’s famed Cuauhtémoc, named after the last Aztec Emperor. The 1,800 ton tall ship is currently used as a training vessel for the Mexican Navy. Built and assembled by the Naval Shipyards of Bilbao, Spain, the Cuauhtémoc was officially received July 29, 1982 in Spain. The Cuauhtémoc, which translates to the “one that has descended like an eagle,” has been in active service since 1982 with Acapulco, Mexico acting as its homeport.

Named after the legendary captain and researcher, Captain Francisco P. Miranda, Capitan Miranda is a training vessel for the Uruguayan Navy. Originally a Spanish sailing cargo carrier, Capitan Miranda was built in Cadiz, Spain in 1930. After World War II, she served as a hydrographic survey vessel for the Uruguayan Navy. It wasn’t until 1978 that the Capitan Miranda was once again converted into a training vessel for the Uruguayan Navy. The homeport is currently located in Montevideo, Uruguay and the Capitan Miranda boasts a length of 205 feet.

In addition to the tall ships from Mexico, Uruguay and Chile, Sail South Texas 2010 is proud to receive the USCGC Eagle, a sailing vessel used to train United States Coast Guard Cadets. The Eagle can work over 20,000 square feet of sail and control more than 20 miles of rigging lines while under way. Each year the Eagle takes a long cruise to the Caribbean or Europe and several short trips around the U.S. East Coast. The homeport for the USCGC Eagle is the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut.

“We are honored to have the official participation of all four of these unique and historic vessels for our 4th of July celebration. Together these four tall ships will be the highlight of one of the most exciting 4th of July weekends ever held in the region,” said John LaRue, Executive Director.

The “Velas de Sudamerica 2010” began last February, 2010 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Twelve participating international tall ships circumnavigated South America calling at a total of fifteen ports from Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Ecuador, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Columbia and Mexico. The last port of call was Veracruz, Mexico. For more information on this circumnavigation of South America, visit www.velasudamerica2010.com. Port Corpus Christi is the only United States port to receive these tall ships from the Sail South America event.

"H-E-B is excited to be able to help bring this incredible opportunity to South Texas! The nationality, culture, history, and magnificence of these ships will impress all who see them. This is a must-see event for the whole community," said Shelley J. Parks, H-E-B Public Affairs, South Texas Region.

Sail South Texas 2010 is an international event created by Port Corpus Christi and presented by H.E.B. at NO COST TO THE PUBLIC. For more information and up-to-date event program and schedule, please visit www.sailsouthtexas2010.com. Join us for an international celebration of liberty, sailing and friendship!

CLICK HERE FOR REVISED EVENT SCHEDULE

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