Fleming Yachts announced in December 2020 that they were designing a new flagship to their esteemed fleet. The new 85 was conceived to be the world’s best raised pilothouse, semi-displacement motor yacht with trans-oceanic capabilities.
Following the introduction, with only renderings of the boat to show, seven boats were sold. This was in the middle of the Covid pandemic when families around the country decided to get into boating as a safe, outdoor form of recreation.
But that doesn’t explain the instant acceptance of the new Fleming 85. This handsome and wholesome cruiser was the boat that many existing Fleming owners were looking for. It has Fleming’s salty and classic styling with a sweeping sheerline, a high, flared bow and large outdoor social areas on both the upper and lower decks. This combination, when melded with Fleming’s reputation for the finest quality of built and finish work, clicked with potential owners.
Hull number one is now cruising the East Coast, hull number two is exploring the Mediterranean and hull number three is being commissioned by the Burr Brother in Maryland. Hulls number four is ready to be delivered.
Due to the 85’s popularity, Fleming has opened a new facility in Taiwan dedicated solely to the one model. This will speed up production and will create a team of builders with only one model to perfect.
Al Shard of the Fleming shipyard noted: “We always wanted to build THE ultimate cruising yacht which would be literally the finest semi-displacement raised pilothouse cruising yacht in the world. With 10% reserves, the F85 has a range of 3,700 nautical miles at 8.5 knots, 2,700 nautical miles at 10 knots, and has a 25-knot cruising speed. We have more than achieved our promise of making the F85 the most fuel-efficient semi-displacement hull available.”
