The Oliver Hazard Perry to Sail as Symbol of State’s Maritime Heritage
NEWPORT, R.I. (Sept. 23, 2008) — After announcing in July its intention to build a Tall Ship for Rhode Island, the non-profit organization Tall Ships Rhode Island (TSRI), Inc., closed September 2 on the purchase of a steel hull that gives it a substantial leg up on its mission. It will see through to completion the building of the Oliver Hazard Perry, a 207 ft., three-masted, square-rigged 19th Century warship replica with ties to Rhode Island’s famous naval war hero of the same name. TSRI, a non-profit organization that has brought several magnificent Tall Ships events to Rhode Island over the past decade and a half, will then operate the Oliver Hazard Perry as a working sail training vessel out of historic Newport.