The 2026 Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show ran from Thursday to Sunday at the Auckland Showgrounds in Epsom, marking 70 years of the event. From heritage launches and carbon race boats to amphibious trailers and wireless outboard control, this year’s show covered a huge cross-section of the marine industry. Below is our full coverage from the floor across all four days.
Built to last: Seven decades of Kiwi boats at the Auckland Showgrounds
For the 70th anniversary, organisers assembled a collection of classic New Zealand-built boats, many decades old and still in active service. It quickly became one of the most photographed sections of the show.
Built to last: Seven decades of Kiwi boats at the Auckland Showgrounds
We also spent time exploring the latest products, innovations and launches from around the show floor.
The Grand Prize: Surtees 770 Game Fisher XL
The centrepiece of the 2026 show was the grand prize draw, and this year’s package was difficult to ignore.
The boat is a Surtees 770 Game Fisher XL, a fully loaded offshore aluminium build featuring INEX Metals construction, Metro Glass glazing, PPG paint, a Brave Design wrap, and Batavian SeaDek decking throughout. The enclosed cabin includes bi-fold glass doors, a 400L fuel tank, and a 530L water ballast system, all backed by a 10-year hull warranty.
The grand prize on display just inside the entrance to the 2026 Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show // BNZ
Power comes from a Yamaha F350 4.3L V6 with Helm Master EX, joystick control, autopilot, variable-speed bow thruster, and CL5 gauge display. Navigation is handled by a complete Garmin electronics package including a GPSMAP 1653XSV, GMR Fantom 24 radar, GT51M-TM transducer, and Navionics Vision+, with connectivity via Global Marine Starlink Mini.
Fishing equipment includes a $10,000 Shimano rod-and-reel package, Ocean Blue carbon tournament outriggers, a Lone Star GX3 anchor winch, plus live-bait, washdown, and electrical systems by Lusty & Blundell. Comfort features include a Dometic drawer fridge, Icey Tek chilly bin, Fusion audio, Hella Marine lighting, and a $4,000 O’Brien watersports package. Safety gear includes an EPIRB, flares, and a 12-month Coastguard membership.
The trailer is a New Zealand-made hot-dip galvanised 8m custom unit from The Trailer Shop, rated to 3.5T GVM with a 10-year structural warranty.
Mercury brings the full range, and a genuinely clever 150
Mercury arrived with a full stand and something worth stopping for: a new 150hp four-stroke featuring a design change that meaningfully separates it from the outboard it replaces.
Form and Float at Hutchwilco: the DIY catamaran gets wheels
Form and Float have appeared at Hutchwilco before. Last year we covered their range of DIY kitset kayaks and small craft, bringing something different to a show dominated by production boats. This year they returned with a new amphibious wheel system.
The system can be retrofitted to most small boats but pairs particularly well with the company’s DIY catamaran kitset. The wheels deploy and retract via submersible electric actuators. When retracted, they lift fully clear of the water with no drag or exposed hardware. When deployed, the boat sits with approximately 25cm of ground clearance, enough for beach or ramp launching.
The actuator battery is housed inside the boat, keeping the entire setup self-contained.
The working system was on display throughout the show, complete with demonstration video footage at the stand.
Form & Float’s amphibious retro boat at the 2026 Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show // Boating New Zealand
From tinny to 8-metre amphibious: Fin Chaser at the Hutchwilco Boat Show
Fin Chaser had more than tinnies on display this year. Their amphibious model attracted plenty of attention from visitors familiar with difficult low-tide ramps.
From tinny to 8-metre amphibious: Fin Chaser at the Hutchwilco Boat Show
Yamaha at Hutchwilco: wireless control, a new electric brand, and a very good finance rate
Yamaha arrived at Hutchwilco with three major talking points: a wireless control system, a new electric marine brand making its New Zealand debut, and a finance offer aimed squarely at hesitant buyers.
Yamaha at Hutchwilco: wireless control, a new electric brand, and a very good finance rate
Outside: bumper boats, food, and crowds
The Boat Launcher by Tectrax
The latest innovation from Tectrax is an autonomous, remote-controlled amphibious trailer called the Boat Launcher.
Tectrax Boat Launcher on display at the 2026 Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show // BNZ
Waterskiing boats
Born in Tauranga and built entirely from carbon fibre, the Phantom Powerboats F2 War Machine is Nic de Mey’s latest R&D race boat — a black-hulled development platform aimed toward the 2027 World Championships. The stand sat opposite Haines Hunter.
Nic de Mey’s F2 Phantom War Machine at the 2026 Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show
Haines Hunter at Hutchwilco: fibreglass amphibious at its finest
Haines Hunter’s amphibious model has been in development for some time. At Hutchwilco, the finished fibreglass version was finally on display, and the level of detail rewarded a close inspection.
Haines Hunter at Hutchwilco: fibreglass amphibious at its finest
Expression Boatworks
Based in Whenuapai on Auckland’s northwestern edge, Expression Boatworks produces fibreglass fishing vessels inspired by American sportfishing design and built for demanding local conditions, including beach launching.
Expression Boatworks at the 2026 Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show // BNZ
Lusty & Blundell at Hutchwilco: induction cooking and a world-first trolling motor display
Lusty & Blundell are always worth a stop. This year the company showcased an induction cooking solution for marine galleys alongside a trolling motor display they describe as a world first.
Ultimate Rod Racks NZ
We checked out the new Deckline system from Ultimate Rod Racks NZ. The Deckline allows users to mount up to three fishing rods and features a built-in stopper system that secures rods while allowing the rack to rotate from zero degrees through to virtually any angle.
The idea is simple: quickly move rods out of the way while fighting a fish.
Kingfisher Powercats at Hutchwilco: three boats, two hull types, and one very cold kill tank
Kingfisher Powercats displayed three boats covering multiple hull configurations, alongside one feature that kept drawing crowds: an exceptionally cold kill tank.
Kingfisher Powercats at Hutchwilco: three boats, two hull types, and one very cold kill tank
Viking Kayaks
For kayak fishing and open-water adventure, Viking Kayaks continues to build its entire range in New Zealand. Every hull is designed with performance, comfort, and safety in mind for paddlers looking to venture further offshore.
Viking Kayaks at the 2026 Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show // BNZ
The fishing hall
The fishing hall, as always, remained packed with visitors throughout the weekend.
Inside the fishing hall at the 2026 Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show // BNZ
Suzuki Marine at Hutchwilco: one product, one focus, and a prop story worth knowing
While many exhibitors tried to show everything, Suzuki took the opposite approach: one engine, one message, and a propeller story that explained exactly why.
Suzuki Marine at Hutchwilco: one product, one focus, and a prop story worth knowing
Stabicraft and Jono Ridler’s Swim4TheOcean
Jono Ridler completed his Swim4TheOcean campaign on Wellington’s waterfront on 4 April 2026 after spending 90 days and covering 1,367km in the water. Beginning at North Cape on 5 January, he swam the entire east coast of the North Island without a wetsuit through dropping water temperatures, remote coastlines, and prolonged open-ocean exposure — equivalent to more than 41 English Channel crossings.
The campaign was run in partnership with marine conservation charity Live Ocean, founded by Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, with the goal of ending bottom trawling on seamounts in New Zealand and the South Pacific high seas. More than 67,000 New Zealanders signed the petition.
The support boat that accompanied Ridler throughout the swim was on display at Hutchwilco over the weekend. Swim4TheOcean has also been recognised by the United Nations as an official Ocean Decade Activity.
That wraps up our coverage from the 2026 Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show. With four days of exhibitors spread across the Auckland Showgrounds, there was more on display than any one team could fully cover. The event continues to grow, and we are already looking forward to seeing what arrives in 2027.
