Naval Architects Bouvet and Petit created a highly specialised 36m exploration yacht destined for polar regions where her strengthened aluminium hull and rounded sections made her perfectly fitted to deal with subzero temperatures and pack ice.
Sometimes described in the yachting press as ‘the world’s first icebreaking sailboat’ Antarctica was a support vessel for the ‘Transantarctica Expedition’ and the ‘EREBUS Expedition’
Under the name of Seamaster, Sir Peter Blake made the ship his prime instrument in his environmental protection program, with the support of UNEP (United Nations Environment Program).
In November of 2003, Etienne Bourgeois managed to convince Sir Peter Blake's heirs to use it in respecting Sir Peter Blake's commitment to the environment. The ship was renamed Tara, the name his grandfather had chosen for his ship, which means "Celestial Path" in Maori
