As Arksen develops plans for a busy year of events and adventures in 2026, here is a look back on the year just gone.

Arksen has made an impact in both marine , adventure and environmental science communities in 2025 with some high-profile events and activities – including product presence at two of the world’s biggest Boatshows, a series of film screenings to mark the involvement of Arksen and 10% for the Ocean in the landmark feature film Ocean with David Attenborough , and a series of expeditions to put our products through their paces.

Marine presence

Supporting the growth of the brand’s rapidly expanding range – which includes the Explorer Series Arksen 85 , Discovery Series Arksen 8 and forthcoming Explorer Series Arksen 65 vessels – team members attended a number of shows and events in the UK with partner Yeowards , including a presence at Southampton Boatshow in September, alongside Yamaha UK .

The boat shows kicked off with Arksen Business Development Director Jonathan Nicholson and Arksen Pro MD Andrew Whittaker and attending boot Düsseldorf in January and in October, the Fort Lauderdale International Boatshow – where Arksen exhibited with US partners 26 North Yachts – saw the USA Dealer launch for the new Adventure series.

This was a landmark moment for the company and was quickly followed up by a visit to the Netherlands for the METSTRADE show in Amsterdam, where the pair were on hand to meet with suppliers, dealers and end users to review existing products and prepare the ground for new products coming in 2026.

Storytelling with Sir David Attenborough 

Meanwhile, in support of its co-production role on Ocean with David Attenborough , Arksen and 10% for the Ocean delivered more than 30 private screenings of the groundbreaking feature film, all around the world – starting even before the launch of the film, with a funding and conservation preview event in Reykjavik, Iceland. 

The opening event invited special guests to head out on the water for whale-watching tours on some of Arksen’s Discovery Series RIBs before treating them to some exclusive previously unseen short excerpts from the film.

Bookending around nine months of screenings, the year concluded with an event in partnership with leading Nordic design and innovation studio Aivan. Hosted at Helsinki’s 200-plus Kinopalatsi venue, the invite-only event brought together an engaged group for a personal showing of the film.

Earlier in the year, the film’s twin premiers in London’s Royal Festival Hall – an afternoon Future Generations showing for a packed theatre of school children and an evening Blue Carpet event attended by King Charles III – began a flurry of events that achieved some of the outreach needed for the film to achieve the highest impact.

The screening events combined full film showings with introductions and panel discussions, often lead by Arksen and 10% for the Ocean founder Jasper Smith and one of the film’s three directors – Toby Nowlan, Colin Butfield, and Keith Scholey. A special screening in Bermuda was supported by Sargasso Sea Commission ambassador Jean-Pierre Rouja.

The special showings also included a children-focused event in Jersey; a screening to a select group of marine biologists in Tonga during a 10% for the Ocean research project; and a visit to the Museum of Modern Art in Buenos Aires, bringing together influencers, media and civil society figures to raise awareness of the threat of bottom trawling on Argentina’s coastline.

Screenings also took place in London, Barcelona, Monaco – at the yacht show, Cape Town – during Ocean Week, Bali, Costa Rica and Portugal. These reached a range of audiences, from next generation explorers to conservation NGOs, with Q&A sessions and open conversations discussing how to empower all generations to take action in the face of the climate crisis.

Testing through adventure

Arksen’s team of adventurers and product testers put our apparel, vehicles and vessels through a range of on-location challenges in rugged land, jungle and marine environments ranging from Costa Rica to the South Pacific. This even included Whittaker training Marines on their new Arksen Pro 1250 Vampires as part of the product delivery process.

Meanwhile, Arksen’s Marine Chief Technical Officer, Jim Mair, spent 10 days in December with an Arksen crew crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a long-distance range test. The group’s adventure from the Canary Islands to the Bahamas was played out over YouTube, with more content set to be released in the New Year.

At the same time, Finn and Toby Strong have been driving an Arksen Land Rover from the UK to the Arctic Circle. On a journey of more than 3,000 miles, they faced a testing, brutal but exciting adventure into the Norwegian winter – equipped with 10 cameras and a bag full of Arksen apparel – to capture their adventure.

Whittaker says: "This incredible year has been defined by a deep connection to the diverse environments we operate in. I’ve personally logged hundreds of hours on the water, from the deep fjords of Norway and the freezing coasts of Iceland to the humid jungles of Costa Rica and the tropical waters of Indonesia.

“Testing, commissioning and learning alongside our end-users has allowed us to channel real-world experience into our vessels and it has been rewarding to see this hard work resonate globally, with record interest from industrial partners and superyacht captains. It confirms when you build with purpose and durability, you really can lead the way."

The year ahead looks equally busy for Arksen, with continued growth in product lines – including new boats, new apparel lines and a list of up-and-coming adventure locations. So, as we head towards 2026, watch this space…