Breath-taking parade of ships sail East River in sneak preview of historic July 4th flotilla
From sea to shining sea.A jaw-dropping fleet of US and international ships sailed down the East River Friday in an impressive sneak peek of the historic flotilla for Saturday’s blockbuster Fourth of July party.More than two dozen magnificent Class B Tall Ships navigated from the Hell Gate Bridge to Gravesend Bay — luring a large crowd of wide-eyed gawkers to witness the breath-taking sight.“I’m enjoying it at the surface level, but also at the symbolic level.Marking our 250th anniversary of declaring our independence … I’m a big fan of all this, and glad to see people out here also enjoying it,” Raymond Hunts, 40, software engineer and Army veteran, told The Post as the giant masts and sails coasted along the stretch of water.
“I’m just happy to be here.”The striking parade featured Class B ships from across the globe, a classification meaning they are smaller in stature than the Class A Tall Ships that will sail through the New York Harbor on Saturday.The ceremonial procession was led by the red sails of the US’s Angelique, the US’s 130-foot-long schooner built to mimic the classic 19th-century English sailing vessel style.It was closely followed by the British Virgin Islands’ STV Vela, a 112-foot gaff-rigged schooner typically used for study abroad and gap-year programs in the Caribbean, and Monaco’s Tuiga, one of the last remaining 15-Metre Class yachts in the world.The Lynx proudly flew the USA flag as it sailed down the waterway, which was patrolled by various Coast Guard vessels poised to guide and protect the prized ships.More than half of the ships are expected to appear in the massive Sail4th parade Saturday morning — in which nearly 100 ships from across the globe will sail together in what will be the largest flotilla in history.The American Eagle, America 2.0, Liberty Clipper and Integrity were among the many American ships that paraded Friday and will join the much larger Class A ships again on Saturday.Thousands of gawke...