Our Beat Program Opens on April 16
Wakekeeper's Beat Program opens on April 16, marking the 10-year anniversary of Boaty McBoatface's public vote moment.
18th March 2026
Announcement
Our Beat Program opens on April 16, on the 10 year anniversary of Boaty McBoatface.
Boaty McBoatface timeline
Boaty McBoatface topped the public vote on April 16, 2016, receiving over 124,000 votes for naming a British polar research ship.
The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) announced on May 6, 2016, that they would not use it for the main ship (named RRS Sir David Attenborough instead) but selected it for one of the ship's autonomous underwater vehicles.
This decision honored the viral campaign while prioritizing a serious name for the vessel.