New Boat: Fleming 85

Fleming 85

Building off the success of the brand’s 78, the Taiwanese builder has a stunning 85-foot flagship in the works.

To say that Fleming Yachts has a following is akin to saying the Beatles have a following; it’s an understatement of the highest order. With a tremendous amount of attention paid to construction and a level of finish that meets the demands of the most discerning yacht owners, this builder lands squarely on many boater’s wish list.

My introduction to Fleming has been through stories—many of which have appeared in this magazine—about the exploits of company founder Tony Fleming aboard his 65-footer Venture. You have to respect a company owner who walks the walk, or rather, cruises the cruise. My biggest gripe with the company in recent years has been the lack of a new model to justify a test and extended cruise aboard myself. That looks to be changing with the company’s announcement that there is an 85-foot flagship in the works.

The first thing we can deduce from the initial renderings are that owners will have the option between an enclosed or open flybridge—a nice option to have depending on whether you’re bound for the Bahamas or the Aleutians. The ship-like lines are what we’ve come to expect from the builder: purposeful yet elegant. The hull, we’re told, is created by the naval architects at Norman R Wrights and Sons to be their most efficient bottom to date.

The interior is punctuated by generously sized, double-glazed windows, acres of fine woodwork as well as a three- or four-stateroom configuration (the fourth cabin features twin bunks and eats into the amidships master’s space, but otherwise seems like a fair trade-off.)

Owners will also have the option of a twin cabin crew area or a single crew cabin—both with a dedicated crew galley. Knowing that many Fleming owners are serious blue-water cruisers, I wager the single crew will be the more popular option.

From the bow to the hydraulic swim platform, Fleming has raised the bar in the amount of onboard storage, yet another nod to the long-range clientele they typically attract. Huge storage lockers in the transom—and the space for a PWC on the swim platform speak to the adventurous owners who want to get intimate with the waters they’re going to be cruising.

The bridge type, crew and guest stateroom configurations are big choices that an owner should consider carefully yet they pale in comparison to the biggest question: Where do you cruise to first?