She was primarily designed to provide young people with the opportunity to undertake voyages as character-building exercises, rather than pure sail-training.

[1] In the late 1990s the two schooners (Malcolm Miller and Sir Winston Churchill) then owned by the Tall Ships Youth Trust (then called the Sail Training Association (STA)) were showing their age and becoming increasingly expensive to maintain.

The hulls for the two new brigs (Stavros S Niarchos and her sister ship, Prince William) were obtained half-completed from another project in Germany.

In January 2006 Stavros S Niarchos rescued the two women crew from a vessel taking part in the 2005 Atlantic Rowing race.

In late 2006 TSYT Captain Darren Naggs was awarded the Thomas Gray Silver Medal of the Marine Society, for exemplary seamanship during the rescue.

The voyage crewmembers, those paying to sail on the ship, are divided into three watches (Red, White and Blue) of 16.

The ship will continue in operation until a buyer is found, which the Trust expects to take several years based on their experience of selling Prince William.