The NZ Antique and Classic Boat Show will return to Lake Rotoiti on 7 and 8 March 2026, bringing together New Zealand’s finest restored pleasure craft, working boats, steam launches and retro runabouts in one of the country’s most spectacular alpine settings.
Held at St Arnaud in Nelson Lakes National Park, the annual show has become a fixture on the classic boating calendar. In 2025, a record 158 boats and around 2,000 visitors gathered for the event’s 25th anniversary, enjoying blue skies and a full programme of racing and on-water displays.
Founder Pete Rainey reflected on the show’s success over the years.
“We’ve held the show when the weather was so bad the Cook Strait Ferry couldn’t sail. We’ve turned out in gumboots and puffers and we ran a reduced show during Covid. But on our 25th anniversary we had blue skies, bright sunshine and just enough wind for the sailing race.”
NZ Antique & Classic Boatshow returns to Lake Rotoiti in March 2026
Full weekend programme on and off the water
The 2026 show opens with land displays from 8.00am to 1.00pm on both days, with registration running from 8.00am to 11.00am and a participant briefing at 11.00am.
Powerboat activities include Minis, Jetsons, Grunters and Monsters, covering everything from small outboards to larger motorboats. At 2.00pm all boats gather west of the West Jetty for the traditional Drive-Past, followed by a packed race programme from around 2.15pm.
Events typically include sailing races, rowing and sculling, Seagull outboard races, popper classes, a steamboat parade, canoe racing and even a swimming race. The lake opens after the final race, with a five knot limit within 200 metres of shore.
Saturday evening features the Commodore’s Award Ceremony at the Alpine Lodge Bar from 9.00pm. All are welcome, with no door charge. A buffet meal is available from 6.00pm, with tickets required in advance.
Day 2 will follow a similar format, with the final schedule confirmed on the day and subject to weather.
Boating NZ Retro Boat of the Year
Boating NZ will again present its Retro Boat of the Year award, celebrating the country’s best unmodified survivor runabout or trailer sailer built before 1990. The boat must be a recognised New Zealand design or manufacturer and capable of getting on the water during the show.
The winner will receive a three page feature in Boating NZ and the Retro Boat of the Year Trophy.
In 2025, the award went to ‘Tugboat’, a Savage Electra Glass Skiboat from the 1970s, praised for its originality and condition. Judge Tim Porter said at the time:
“Fibreglass never dies, the retro colours are popular and people just like being reminded of the 60s and 70s.”
The Jens Hansen Cup
The Jens Hansen Cup remains the show’s ultimate prize. Judges consider presentation, story, condition, engineering and overall impact. It is not necessarily the most valuable boat that wins, but the one that stands out as special and memorable.
The 2025 overall winner was ‘Robin’, a 1961 Albatross Continental restored by the Green family of Oamaru. Previous winners include Aqualark, Moonraker 11 and Aurora, reflecting the diversity and depth of New Zealand’s classic fleet.
With entries already building, organisers are encouraging owners to dust off their treasures and bring them to Rotoiti for a weekend that celebrates craftsmanship, heritage and time on the water.
