GALVESTON, Texas (April 13, 2023) Nao Santa Maria, replica of the Nao Santa María of Christopher Columbus, transits Galveston Channel during Tall Ships Challenge Galveston 2023. La Santa María de la Inmaculada Concepción (Spanish for: The Holy Mary of the Immaculate Conception), or La Santa María, originally La Gallega, was the largest of the three ships used by Christopher Columbus in his first voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492. Founded in 1973, Tall Ships America is a non-profit organization commended by Congress as The National Sail Training Organization representing the United States. The 2023 Tall Ships Galveston festival at the Galveston Historic Seaport hosts tours of participating ships, numerous special events, sail-away excursions, music, food, and fun in a family-friendly format. Galveston Island serves as one of three ports for the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® Gulf Coast 2023 Series, which features a fleet of ships traveling across the Gulf of Mexico as they visit other participating cities.