“We set out to create a great company; one that could have a profound impact on the lives of the owners of our vessels and that could actively contribute to a better understanding of the oceans.” So says Jasper Smith, the founder of Arksen, a newcomer on the global yacht stage. The company isn’t what you’d expect. While it’s offering hard-core offshore yachts and megayachts to 98 feet (30 meters), it’s going beyond that. Arksen’s approach further includes an explorers’ club and a non-profit conservation foundation.
The unexpected tactic comes party from Smith’s background. While he has a personal passion for sailing and the ocean, professionally he’s a tech entrepreneur and investor. Much of his background involves interactive media, through companies such as PlayJam. He decided to bring the worlds of technology and research together with exploration within the marine industry. The goal is to provide buyers with true offshore exploration yachts, as well as to push technological advances in propulsion and systems monitoring.
A multi-national team experienced in yachting stands behind Arksen. On the engineering and design side, for instance, there’s Humphreys Yacht Design as well as Design Unlimited. For construction, meanwhile, Wight Shipyard Company is the designated yard. Located on the Isle of Wight, it may not ring a bell. But, surely you’ll recognize its original name: Shemara Refit. Shemara Refit started in 2010 to manage the restoration of Shemara, the famed classic yacht from 1938. In 2016, the company rebranded as Wight Shipyard Company, reflecting its broader experience with fast ferries, other commercial projects, and military projects, too.
As for the yachts, they group together under the Arken Series (top). The semi-custom models are the Arksen 70, Arksen 85 (above), and Arksen 100. Regardless of size, each is beachable and available for ice classification. Each can feature diesel-electric propulsion, one of four power packages. Every Arksen megayacht automatically includes solar panels and Ark Control, the latter being an artificial-intelligence system. It tracks critical systems non-stop. Ark Control intends to benefit Arksen’s own engineering team as much as customers, providing information on possible maintenance issues before they arise. And, every yacht features sustainable materials.
Smith characterizes Arksen yachts as “offshore vessels that are designed to withstand the harshest ocean conditions and incorporate autonomy.” Fulfilling that mission, they boast long range and efficient operations. The Arksen 85, for instance, promises a range upwards of 6,000 nautical miles on one tank of fuel. Furthermore, in calm conditions, the megayacht reportedly requires just 12 kw/16 hp of power to go 7 knots. Finally, the Arksen 85, and her sisterships, should see fast average cruising between 11 and 14 knots.
To encourage customers to cruise beyond the usual yachting destinations, Arksen has the Arksen Explorers’ Club. It offers special expedition-oriented itineraries. Considering each yacht’s general arrangement can emphasize leisure or research, the expeditions should be varied. Speaking of research, the company also has a non-profit called the Arksen Foundation. All owners participating must donate 10 percent of the yacht’s annual sea time to the ocean-research and –conservation projects which the Foundation supports. Among other things, this involves allowing scientists, filmmakers, journalists, and even artists and athletes access to the yachts to further the projects’ missions.
Arksen’s management team is putting its money where its mouth is, too. The company has joined 1% for the Planet. It’s an international organization whose members donate a minimum of one percent of annual sales to environmental causes.
“Our collective futures will depend on our ability to understand, protect, and save our oceans for future generations,” Smith summarizes. “Owning an Arksen vessel is not a status symbol. It is a statement of intent.”
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