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The French Navy training schooners Etoile (left), La Belle Poule(right) with the USCG cutter Eagle in the background.The gaff-rigged schooner Alliance from Yorktown, VA, conductingriver excursions on Saturday during the festival.La Belle Poule – 123’ topsail schooner from Brest, FranceLynx – 122’ square topsail schooner from Newport Beach, CAPeacemaker – 150’ barquentine from Brunswick, GAPicton Castle – 179’ barque from Avatiu, Rarotonga,Cook IslandsPride of Baltimore II – 157’ topsail schooner from Baltimore, MDRoseway – 137’ schooner from St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsSir Martin II – 97’ gaff-rigged schooner from Fort Worth, TXTheodore Too – 64’ tug from Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaOver the three-day event, several Tall Ships offered riverexcursions, and all ships were open to the public for touring.Captains and crew were on hand to answer questionsand pose for photos with their guests. Roving entertainmentwas provided, and bands of pirates were spotted throughoutthe River Street area. The tug Theodore Too delighted childrenin the Kids Cove Adventure area.Just before noon Monday, under threatening clouds, theflotilla of Tall Ships cast off their lines and mustered upriverof the city at Talmadge Bridge before delighting thousandswith the traditional Parade of Sails as they debarkedfor Greenport, NY, the next stop on the Challenge Series.Seemingly on cue, a large pod of dolphin appeared near thebow of the lead Tall Ship, Eagle, and accompanied her to sea.Once again, the old port city of Savannah was alive withthe sight, sound, and even the gunpowder smell of Tall Shipsas Bounty, Pride of Baltimore, and Lynx sounded a farewellsalute with their cannons. The cadets from Indonesia continuedto delight the crowd with their band playing and seamenmanning the yardarms in full dress uniform.As the Tall Ships made their way to sea, they passed thestatue of Savannah’s legendary Waving Girl, FlorenceMartus, who was the unofficial greeter of every ship enteringand leaving the port of Savannah from 1887 to 1931.Florence lived on nearby Elba Island with her brotherGeorge, the Cockspur Island lighthouse keeper.Legend has it that Florence waved a handkerchief byday and a lantern by night to every passing ship. The storiesof her faithful greetings were told in ports around theworld, and sailors would salute her by waving back or witha blast of the ship’s horn. It is estimated that Florence greetedover 50,000 ships over a 44-year period. Florence musthave smiled as she waved good-bye to the magnificent TallShips, and even Theodore Too, the little tug from Halifax.For more on the Tall Ships Challenge 2012, go towww.sailtraining.org/tallships/2012atlantic.News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2012 33