Fans of the seagoing vessels of yesteryear have been patiently waiting since 2009 for the return of these mighty sailing ships to Boston. As of June 17, when Sail Boston 2017 cruises into the Inner Harbor, the wait is over. Consisting of a flotilla of masted marvels, this event is an official stop of the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta, a 7,000-mile race that makes its way across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe and Bermuda before eventually moving to Canada and beyond on June 22. In the meantime, after the opening ceremony June 16 at noon at the Boston Harbor Hotel Rotunda on Rowes Wharf, visitors to Boston Harbor can glimpse an armada of barques, schooners, brigantines and more from all over the world with the Grand Parade of Sail on June 17 from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Once the pageantry ends, public boarding of ships begins at 3 p.m. at Fish Pier, the World Trade Center, Fan Pier and Pier 1 and Pier 4 in Charlestown.