Community Connections - Opsail International

Vision
To host an International Tall Ship event, Operation Sail, as part of our Nation’s Millennium Celebration.  An Act of Congress presented OpSail as an opportunity to promote goodwill among nations and celebrate our communities as we enter the new millennium with hope and promise for a peaceful and united world.

Action
Over 40 ships visited New London harbor with close to one million visitors over four days.  We connected our global and local communities with classroom, sports, cultural, and hospitality activities.   Economic development events were held with various countries and CT businesses.  Museums, artists and destinations from across Connecticut took part in our CT showcase: bringing our state to life to a global audience.

Impact
Relationships were formed and networks developed through on-going cross cultural programs, business and diplomatic relationships were initiated and strengthened  through the non-threatening environment of a global celebration, infrastructure for hosting large scale maritime events were permanently built along New London’s waterfront.