Tara is 20 years old!

This month, the boat Tara celebrates her 20 years old!

The schooner, with unique form and design, was built in 1989 from Jean-Louis Etienne’s initiative and was drawn by the naval architects Luc Bouvet and Olivier Petit.

Named Antartica, the boat has covered all seas of the globe since 1995.

Then, it was Sir Peter Blake who bought it and gave it the name of Seamaster. He makes it the main instrument of his environmental protection’s agenda, supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Tara off the water

During the previous week, the public could admire the schooner berthed along the dock of  Lorient’s harbour.

But this monday  2nd march, Tara was taken out off the water for at least a month.

It’s the start of a long period of works to prepare the boat for its next on the oceans of the world.

Welcome back Tara

Tara is back home in Lorient exactly a year ago after her return from the North Pole.

During the next 6 months, Tara will undertake a deep preparation for the next worldwide expeditions “Tara Oceans”. We will adapt Tara to her coming scientific work and install state-of-the-art imagery devices and a new laboratory.

Welcome back Tara !

Tara comes back for a new shape to Lorient

After the storm, the calm cames back for Tara!

Three months ago, Tara left its welcome port to go to Paris.

On ferbuary 6th Tara left. All the Parisian crew have boarded for a mythical ride on the Seine. The stromsail made a turn around of the ‘Ile de de la Cité” and greeted the city hall of Paris with his foghorn.

After it spent  the night in Suresnes, Tara had to go to Rouen. A couple day to show its two masts around and once again Tara sented away.

Just the time for a scientific reunion in Roscoff and Tara will sail to Lorient to arrive on the 23rd ferbuary, one year after it came back from the Arctic.

Futur : the Tara Oceans expedition

The Tara Arctic expedition has strongly demonstrated the reality of global warming.
The next question is obvious: what will be the impact on life and on human society? The sudden increase in atmospheric CO2 is beginning to affect the oceans which are going through acidification. How will the micro-organisms in the ocean that produce oxygen for the atmosphere react to these sudden changes? Will they evolve, adapt or die?

Tara will be in Paris from the 15th of November 2008 until the 18th of January 2009

7 days more in Paris !!

Access : 
Metro, Lines 1 and 13, Champs-Elysées-Clémenceau/ RER, Line C, Invalides/Bus, Lines 72, 83 and 93

Price and visiting hours
Open every day between 10 am and 6 pm except on Monday morning and Tuesday all day.
Shut on the 25th of December and the 1st of January.
Entrance fee €5 and free for children under 12.
Reservation : FNAC stores, by phone at 08 92 684 694 (0,34€ per minute), www.fnac.com

Tara in Paris from the 15th November ’08 to the 11 January ’09

 

Tara arrived in Paris !!

Tara at La Rochelle from the 24th to the 30th of June

Tara will be at La Rochelle from the 24th to the 26th of June in the context of Sunny Side of the doc (International documentary trade fair).
For the occasion, a public showing of the 90 minute documentary “Tara, journey to the heart of the climate machine” will take place on Tuesday the 24th of June at 8 pm in the Auditorium of Encan. This screening will be followed by a debate with the members of the team.

Made under extreme conditions, this movie tells the daily life of this unprecedented mission. One discovers how the members of the crew, prisoners of the ice onboard Tara, fought continuously against the cold, the permanent night time or day time, against the movements of ice sheets or the storms that destroy the equipment that is threatened also by the bears who are led to the centre of the Arctic because of the pack ice disappearance. But beyond the feat, the documentary shows us that the scientific mission revealed a reality that is much more alarming than anticipated for the climate of Earth…

From the 27th of June to the 30th of June, Tara opens to the public of La Rochelle.

Guided tours of the schooner will take place on the 27, 28 and 29 June from 2 to 6 pm. On the 30th of June from 3pm to 5pm then in the evening from 7 pm to 10 pm at the same time as the evening of l’Aquarium.
Registrations will take place in the tent in front of Tara
An exhibition that relates the whole Tara Arctic expedition will be on display in the tent. From the journey up North, to Tara’s embedment in the ice, with the agonizing polar night and the important scientific campaign in April 2007 up until the exit from the ice, the exhibition is a diary of the expedition presented in 36 photos taken by Francis Latreille.

*A documentary made by Emmanuel Roblin and Thierry Ragobert
Coproduction: ARTE FRANCE, MC4, Tarawaka, Off The Fence, RTBF, Directorate General Research.European Commission (France, 2008, 1h30 mn)
This movie has received support from the Conseil Général de la Charente Maritime.

LES HOMMES, UN FILM D’ARIANE MICHEL, A ÉTÉ FILMÉ À BORD DE TARA LORS DE L’EXPÉDITION “ECOPOLARIS – GROENLAND 2004”

LES HOMMES

Ariane Michel 2006 – France
1h35 – Video – Col.
V.O. English

Rotterdam International Film Festival 2007 – FIDMarseille 2006 (Grand Prix of the French compétition) Indielisboa 2007 – MoMa, Documentary Fortnight Expanded, 2007

The story

At the furthermost bounds of a frozen sea, a boat approaches a land. Human silhouettes come out of it, they appear strange. From their immutable world, the ice, the stones and the animals of Greenland witness the arrival of scientists who come a summer to study them.

Last stage

The painting and varnish finished inside Tara, we have put our bags onboard the boat last week, a much appreciated moment by everyone but especially by Tiksi happy to watch a territory that he knows well.

As usual, time flies and occupations are not scarce on Tara. While a team is setting the outside plexis, new leds (low energy light bulbs) are being put up by Dave in all corners of the boat. As for Baptiste, he is installing the bathroom.

Another team is in charge of embarking safety material. The life jackets, vests, VFI, survival suits that were sent upon our return to be revised are now back at their place in the slope.