Photo by Arturo Garcia-Ayala
We were proud to help provide a welcome escort for Amerigo Vespucci, the historic and iconic training ship of the Italian Navy, as it entered the San Pedro Harbor on July 2, 2024. There were so many great photos and videos shared on social media, and many of them featured Exy Johnson sailing close by!
Fellow sailor Jon Iwata shot photos and video from his sailboat, and we’re grateful to him for putting together the video below featuring Exy Johnson and our crew giving a warm welcome to Amerigo Vespucci. When he posted the video, he said, “We woke up early and got out there to be part of the small boat fleet to parade her into port. Exy Johnson also joined, and the pair of tall ships together was just incredible. After a massive display of power and welcome from the Los Angeles Fire Department Boat 2 and a seven-cannon blast from Exy Johnson, it was a morning to remember.”
The Amerigo Vespucci World Tour is visiting over 30 ports, 28 countries, 5 continents, and Los Angeles was the first city in the world to host a maxi exhibition space called “Villaggio Italia” in the Port of Los Angeles’ Outer Harbor. It included daily activities, food, fanfare and more before “the most beautiful ship in the world” departed for the next stop – Honolulu – when we once again provided a tall ship escort, this time with Irving Johnson!