On a beautiful summer's day, accompanied by a brisk wind, the USS Constitution led a majestic procession of tall ships from across the world into Boston Harbor Tuesday.

The opening event of the Sail Boston 2000 convention, the Grand Parade of Sail showcased American and European ships as well as sailing vessels from as far away as New Zealand, Indonesia and India. More than a million spectators lined the harbor's shores to catch a glimpse from the golden age of sailing.

Enthusiasts crowded Fan Pier, Castle Island and almost every waterfront parcel of land to witness the spectacle. Thousands more watched from the sea; about 3,400 spectator boats were scattered along the route.

A 12-mph wind blowing out to sea, forced many of the ships to use their motors instead of moving by sail. Some ships moved in without the sails deployed, while others kept their sails up in the spirit of the event.

The procession of ships, ranging from the largest "Class A" vessels to numerous smaller ships followed the Constitution into the harbor beginning at 9:30 a.m. and continued until 3:45 p.m.

Maryellen Broderick of Lawrence, Mass., said she took a 5:30 a.m. train into Boston. Her efforts were well rewarded--she was sitting in the front row of seats near the Aquarium.

She said she was glad to see the Constitution out on the water. "It's pretty amazing to see this tall ship is still in service," she said.

Following Old Ironsides and the schooner America, the third ship to enter was the Danmark, which flew most of its sails as it entered the harbor. Crew members were standing on the masts high above the deck of the Danish ship as it cruised past awed spectators.

The Kaiwo Maru, of Japan, was also an impressive sight. The 361-foot ship, flying a huge rising sun flag, had its uniformed sailors lined up on the deck as it passed the reviewing stand near the World Trade Center.

The schooner Larinda, an 86-foot long ship out of Cape Cod, was one of the most exotic ships in the parade. The Larinda, which features distinctive battened lug sails, was built as a replica of a colonial Boston schooner.

A Russian ship, the Kruzenshtern, was largest vessel of the entire procession. A behemoth at 376 feet, the Kruzenshtern is the second-longest tall ship in the world.

People from all over the world flocked to Boston for the event. Werner Jurkowski of Berlin, Germany, will be leaving Boston on the Kruzenshtern.

"I've been interested all my life in sailing," said Jurkowski, who was taking detailed notes on the ships as he watched the parade.

Jurkowski said that Boston's festivities compared favorably to New York's tall ships event over the Fourth of July.

New York was "very disappointing," Jurkowski said. "There was almost no way to get to the ships. In all other countries and all other ports, you can get freely to the ships."

Viewers of all ages turned out for the first visit of the tall ships to Boston since 1992.

Robert and Sheri Boroda of Newton, Mass., brought their daughters Jackie, 11, and Sasha, 2, to watch the procession.

Jackie, who also saw the ships in 1992, described them as "impressive."

Sasha, on the other hand, "is enjoying the airplanes more than anything else," said her mother, referring to the jets landing at Logan International Airport that roared over the harbor repeatedly throughout the day.

Predictably, the event drew sailing aficionados from all over New England.

"We love the sea, anything to do with it," said Chan Chandler of Durham, N.H. Chandler, who took a vacation day to be able to attend the parade, praised the "beautiful" weather but said he wished more of the sails could have been up.

Some spectators had minor complaints, but the overall reaction to the ships was overwhelmingly positive.

"I've enjoyed it," said Carolyn Spiros of Needham, Mass. "There was a little bit of a lag [between the ships], but the ones that have come through have been great."

William Biccio of Boston, a veteran of the 1976 and 1992 tall ships visits, agreed that the ships should have come in closer together. However, he praised the international flavor of the festivities.

"People got to see a bit about every country--a happy little world," Biccio said. "It's more like a world celebration. America opened the doors to all the nations."

Many of the true enthusiasts staked out prime spots on Castle Island early in the day.

"I've been at Castle Island," Spiros said. "It's crowded, but good viewing."

One of the most popular attractions during the week did not even participate in the parade. The aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy arrived on Monday morning and was open to the public later in the week. The carrier was escorted by a pair of cruisers, the USS Hue City and the USS Vicksburg and by a destroyer, the USS McFaul.

The Constitution, the oldest commissioned warship in the U.S. Navy, was towed out to sea to begin the parade by escorting the other Tall Ships into the harbor. As she re-entered the harbor at the head of the procession, an artillery salute in her honor was fired from the shore. The artillery also fired salutes to several of the other Tall Ships as they entered the harbor.

Throughout the week, the ships will be docked and open for public boarding. Most of them will depart on Sunday, exchanging a salute with the Constitution before they begin racing to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and then on to Amsterdam.

--Yibei Shen contributed to the reporting of this story.