Arksen founder and CEO Jasper Smith reflects on the achievements and emotions following the completion of the latest hybrid Arksen 85 Explorer Yacht, and reveals how his deep passion for the Ocean led it to be named ‘Fin’.

There is beauty in the Arksen 85 explorer yacht . Her design and philosophy; her engineering; the materials used; the tens of thousands of hours of intelligent engineering and technical expertise put into her creation; and the team that worked tirelessly to create her.

She is a vessel that is built to go the distance. Designed beyond industry standards for world cruising, with long-range, exceptional performance, stability and refinement that enable her to explore the most wonderful locations in luxury. Ultimately, she is a vessel built to create memories for everyone who meets her.

Building the ultimate explorer yacht

At an early stage of her build, she was the other way up. Her hull was built upside down, then turned around, and I remember witnessing welders climbing over her, hammering her sides and forming the outer shape of what would become this incredible vessel. With my vivid imagination, it was hard not to be moved. 

She was awe inspiring; you could see her great potential; but she also reminded me of the beauty of the ocean and the fragility of the stunning creatures that live within it. I began to picture the hull as a beached whale, the welders and our engineers as a successful rescue team preparing to free her. The transitioning of raw materials into a machine mimicked the giving of new energy to this wild animal. The freedom of life, and the lifetime of opportunity this vessel represents.

Her skegs looked like huge fins and I imagined seeing them push through the water with the same flash of excitement of seeing a dorsal fin moving through the ocean. Your heart jumps. You yell out. Something primal happens as these majestic mammals cruise past, their fins providing propulsion, stability, balance and protection. 

On the Arksen 85 , these same attributes are engineered, but they are emotional too. They deliver the very essence of what I wanted us to feel when onboard: confident, comfortable, stable and balanced. A place of sanctuary – the Ark and the Sentinel. Stoic, heroic and strong. Like a healthy whale.

There is a beauty in that narrative for me. That in her sculpting and creation there is the gift of a life to be lived – and within it an infinite world of possibilities, if we are brave enough to take the first step.

Engineered emotion of the Arksen 85

In many ways, launching this boat was the completion of one of my life’s greatest challenges. When we started, it felt ominous. We were pioneering new solutions; pushing new boundaries; trying to do things that had never been done before. There was not always certainty how this challenge would be completed; but there was always certainty it would. 

To get to the finish line is special. The wonderful team behind all this work has collectively brought her to life, and this has been a project of which we are all extraordinarily proud. 

The skills of Tom and Rob Humphreys to develop those ambitious initial ideas; the remarkable in-house engineering and management prowess of Jim Mair, Ewan Hind and John Nicholson and the many varied talents of our wonderful team, old and new; the design and construction excellence and experience of Chartwell, Design Unlimited, the Wight Shipyard Company and the myriad of other fantastic suppliers and consultants involved.; and, of course, my family for their patience, in particular my sons Stormy, who was there at the start, and Harper, who inspired me to continue.

The perfect name

To me, the Arksen 85 a beautifully engineered piece of art – with a soul that is so much more than the sum of her parts. I thought of the name ‘Fin’ as a strong symbol of grace and beauty; of cutting smoothly through the water with elegance and strength; symbolising the enduring and majestic thrill of nature at its wildest – undisturbed by the world around it.

I also enjoyed the tie back to our use of fins for hydrodynamic performance and efficiency and to dampen yaw, and the symbolism of how this vessel, once released into its natural environment, could help to create behaviour change – in how the industry operates; how we approach climate change; and how we support the oceans and their fundamental role in the future of our environment on this wonderful planet. 

Ocean regeneration is vital for the future of our planet. To this end, Fin is here, in part, to support the work of our foundation, Arksen and 10% for the Ocean. Our mission is to spark a step-change in support for ocean health by encouraging individuals, businesses and foundations to commit just 10% of their charitable giving to ocean recovery. Fin will be here to support that work, to be deployed where suitable and feasible, to play her part in enabling crucial scientific research projects. 

My endearing desire is that Fin goes on to make a positive impact through her life, operating in the same way that Jacques Cousteau operated Calypso. A platform for good. A vessel for change. And a sanctuary that connects all those who board her with the beauty of nature.

Lastly, I also liked that ‘Fin’ is the French word for end. So, Fin…

…for the pioneers who dare to dream of the thrill of the wild; for the beauty of the challenge and the achievement; for the invigoration of life.