TALL SHIPS DESCEND ON THE BIG BAY Maritime Museum to Host Festival of Sail-2002 ON THE WATERFRONT -- The San Diego Maritime Museum announces Festival of Sail will take place September 12-16, 2002 and involve visits by nearly a dozen tall ships -- one traveling from as far as the Ukraine. The North Embarcadero will come alive for the weekend with music, plein air painters, arts & crafts, pirate re-enactors, and a variety of maritime events and celebrations. The Festival of Sail will begin with a parade of tall ships sailing into San Diego Bay September 12 at noon. The exotic topsail schooners and square rigged ships will be led by our own grand dowager of the sea, the 1863 barque Star of India, and sail under the Coronado Bridge where they will be greeted by shore side cannon salutes and tens of thousands of well-wishers along both sides of the bay. The tall ships will dock near the Maritime Museum and be open for dockside tours, cannon battles, and public receptions. The Ancient Mariners Sailing Society will stage a sail-by of their antique wooden ships, and a big boat regatta is scheduled to take place during the weekend. The visiting ships will be open to the public 9 a.m.-to-7 p.m. (4-7 p.m. on September 12). A special "Passport" will offer admission to the visiting ships and the Maritime Museum for one price and contain visual and biographical information of the visiting ships. For more information contact Susan Sirota, educational director at the Maritime Museum, (619) 234-9153, x 126, or visit the museum's web site at www.sdmaritime.com. Note: Electronic images of the visiting tall ships are available upon request. Joseph Ditler Director of Communications San Diego Maritime Museum For more information on the San Diego Maritime Museum, home of the oldest active ship in the world, Star of India, see our home page at: www.sdmaritime.com or write: Joseph Ditler, Maritime Museum 1492 N. Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101 Phone: (619) 234-9153, x 105