NZ Antique & Classic Boat Show

It’s full steam ahead for the NZ Antique & Classic Boatshow in in March 2023, after two years of Covid upsets. Sleek cedar kayaks, jet boats from the 60s, clunky clinkers and veteran sailing craft…hours of effort in meticulous restorations will be displayed in the spectacular setting of Lake Rotoiti in the Nelson Lakes National Park. Billed as a weekend of ‘Glorious Hydromatic Relaxation’ there will be displays on land from early morning, races on the lake in the afternoon, both days.
The NZ Antique and Classic Boatshow has built a reputation for slightly quirky fun, typified by the hilarity as boaties run to pull-start their motors for the Seagull dinghy race with its ‘Le Mans’ start.
Judging is on Saturday, ahead of the evening awards ceremony at the Alpine Lodge. At stake is the Jens Hansen Trophy where the judges are after good looks as well as history, construction, and a boat with a story to tell. This year the NZ Antique & Classic Boat Show is supported by the Nelson Regional Development Agency in recognition of the economic benefits it brings to the region.