Fleming is introducing its new F78 Classic at the Fort Lauderdale show, an upgrade of its flagship 78 but with a redesigned flybridge and boat deck. With good reason, considering its success in cruising around the world, the company calls the F78 “the ultimate cruising yacht.”
The Fleming 78 is built to European CE Category “A” standards, meaning it is a strong, well-engineered, go-anywhere, blue-water cruiser. Flemings are known for the exceptional engineering and attention to detail, inside and out.
The redesigned 78 is an outgrowth of the Fleming 75 that was launched in 2000. Ten years later Fleming redesigned that boat’s hull to make it longer, with a longer keel and a bulbous bow, and named it the F78 Classic. The added waterline and new bow reduced fuel burn and increased range by 500. Powered by twin 1550-hp MANs, the 78 had a range of 2,000 nm at 10 knots. That boat had a split-level flybridge.
On the new F78 Classic, the flybridge is on one level to make life easier and more comfortable. The boat deck is longer and the davit is positioned so you can launch a tender over either side or the stern. The cockpit also is larger and has more seating.
The 78 has three staterooms with en suite heads and showers plus a separate crew quarters aft. The salon is made for cruising comfort, with an entertainment center with cabinets, bookshelves and a TV on the starboard side; an L-shaped settee with an oval teak table and storage are to port. A bar cabinet with a granite counter top, sink and fridge/icemaker is aft to port.
The galley is forward with 18 linear feet if countertop, a double sink and everything you need for long-range cruising. A dinette is opposite with a curved banquette, oval dining table and storage.
Below, the accommodations deck has teak and holly sole throughout; the bulkheads are faced with teak and there’s Ultra Suede on the paneling and headliners. Each stateroom is off a forward lobby, which is reached by stairs from the pilothouse. The owner’s stateroom has a king-sized bed with curved bureaus on either side, a desk with drawers and a walk-in closet. The port guest cabin can have either twin berths or a double berth; the VIP cabin forward has a tapered queen berth and hanging lockers port and starboard. The crew quarters and engine room are accessed from the port side deck aft, so crew can come and go without disturbing guests anywhere else on the boat.
The pilothouse on the 78, as on all Flemings, is the cruising social center of the boat. It has an L-shaped settee set around a teak table; a pilot berth is optional. A chart table is to port and the helm has space for a full range of electronics in full-width upper and lower consoles. One centered Stidd helm chair is standard, but there’s space for two more. A day head with toilet and a ceramic basin set in a granite countertop is adjacent to the pilothouse.
Specs.: LOA: 81’6”; Beam: 21’5”; Draft: 5’0”; Disp.: 165,048 lbs.; Fuel: 3,000 gals.; Water: 440 gals.; Power: 2×1550-hp MAN diesels.
