TrawlerFest and PassageMaker magazine were proud to present Tony Fleming (pictured center with Editor-In-Chief, Jonathan Cooper, and Associate Publisher, Geoff Leech) with a lifetime achievement award, recognizing his indelible contribution to the world of power cruising over the past 30 years. Fleming accepted an engraved brass clock from Weems & Plath in front of family and TrawerFest VIPs in Anacortes, Washington.
Starting a new business at 50 years of age, Tony built what would become one of the most successful lines of luxury yachts in history, whose graceful lines were perhaps only exceeded by their abilities as proven passagemakers. Nothing is more symbolic of these seagoing capabilities than Tony’s own Fleming 65, Venture. Profiled often in these pages—and in the pages of other magazines—Venture has logged over 55,000 nautical miles (while her sistership, Venture II, has accrued over 10,000 nautical miles). Next up for Fleming is a return trip to the Pacific Ocean, and a bar-crossing at the famed Columbia River delta.
While accepting his award at an honorary dinner, Tony was quick to point out that he’s never built a boat himself, deflecting much of the praise to the hundreds of dedicated craftsmen at Fleming’s Taiwanese yard, and to his long-time captain and friend, Chris Conklin. Congratulations to Tony, his family, and to all of the people who have had a hand in constructing Fleming’s legacy
