Perseverance
a Sailboat at the
Service of the Earth

Alongside the Polar POD, Perseverance is already charting its course. This large polar schooner was built to serve a dual role: scientific expedition vessel and supply ship for the Polar POD. Designed to sail far, through ice and the most challenging seas, it also carries a message of responsible exploration, propelled by wind and equipped to limit its footprint. By traversing the Southern Ocean, it bears witness to the fragility of its ecosystems, collects unprecedented data, and opens its decks to public awareness. Perseverance is the link between the cutting-edge science of the Polar POD and the public eye, a bridge between exploration and transmission.

PERSEVERANCE is an oceanographic sailboat leading a major expedition to document and protect Antarctica’s most fragile ecosystems. By navigating through Antarctica’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), PERSEVERANCE collects essential ecological and visual data, highlighting one of the planet’s least observed yet most threatened regions. The vessel bears witness to the vulnerability of these waters and amplifies the global call for their protection.

Primarily sail-powered and equipped with a nitrogen emission reduction system, it embodies a new generation of more sustainable and responsible expeditions. Featuring a dedicated space, scientific equipment, and autonomy adapted to extreme conditions, PERSEVERANCE carries researchers and instruments to better understand the Southern Ocean. It will also serve as a supply vessel for the Polar POD, continuing our commitment to nature-powered expeditions.

Features and Performance

Length: 42 m
Width: 11 m
Draft: 4.15 m
Cruising speed: 10 knots
Capacity: 12 passengers
Cabins: 8

Architect: @Olivier PETIT / VPLP
Shipyard: @PIRIOU
Photos by: @Florian LEDOUX
Illustrations by: @Nicolas Gagnon
Photos by: @ Orès group & Cake Collective

To learn more about the ship and the voyages aboard Perseverance

Perseverance Expedition: Antarctic MPAs 2025-2030

Through its expedition, PERSEVERANCE explores and observes the most fragile ecosystems of the Southern Ocean. By navigating through the heart of Marine Protected Areas, it collects essential ecological and visual data to reveal the richness and vulnerability of these sanctuaries. PERSEVERANCE reaches the most isolated MPAs to document these unique ecosystems, still poorly understood yet already threatened, and contribute to their preservation.

Next Steps for the Expedition

Isolated in the heart of the Pacific, Clipperton Atoll is an uninhabited French territory with exceptional marine biodiversity. An inventory mission conducted in 2004 with the National Museum of Natural History highlighted the richness of its waters, but also the growing pressure from overfishing, particularly on tuna stocks. Today, only partial protection of 12 nautical miles is in place. The challenge now is to extend this Marine Protected Area to the entire exclusive economic zone (EEZ), i.e., up to 200 nautical miles. This initiative is supported in partnership with the Jacques Delors Institute Europe, Geneviève Pons, Pascal Lamy, and the Blue Nature Alliance.

The Southern Ocean, a vast blue crown around Antarctica, plays a key role in the planet’s climate balance and harbors unique ecosystems. However, this region is under pressure, particularly due to krill fishing, an indispensable link for the survival of penguins, seabirds, and marine mammals. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) were designed to preserve these essential habitats, reconciling conservation, scientific research, and sustainable fishing. Supported by the Principality of Monaco, France, the European Union, and Australia, several MPA projects are underway to extend protection to new critical areas.

The Ross Sea is currently one of only two MPAs in the Southern Ocean, established in 2016 thanks to a major diplomatic initiative by Barack Obama. Ten years after its creation, it is crucial to assess its effectiveness and document its ecological developments. The Perseverance campaign in this area aims to collect valuable data, which will feed into CCAMLR’s ten-year report, ensuring the scientific and diplomatic legitimacy of this pioneering MPA.

East of Antarctica, the Dumont d’Urville Sea is another area of major importance, essential for Adélie penguin colonies and the reproduction of numerous marine species. Less studied yet equally vulnerable, it is the subject of an MPA proposal supported by France, the European Union, and Australia. Perseverance will conduct a dedicated campaign there to enrich scientific knowledge about this ecosystem, document its richness and fragility, and support the creation of this new protected area.