The key theme of the Bristol festival was John Cabot's pioneering voyage of discovery to the Americas.
Other vessels taking part included the tall ships Eye of the Wind, Pride of Baltimore, Rose, Kaskelot and Earl of Pembroke.
This necessitated cordoning off the, usually publicly accessible, harbourside areas, together with nearby parts of the city centre.
Within this cordon visitors were able to view the visiting ships and boats, and watch live music, street performances and other entertainments.
The coverage was presented by Peter Snow, Jill Dando and Sandi Toksvig, with additional material by Tony Robinson and Antony Worrall Thompson.