Celebrating local heritage and the beauty of the Gippsland Lakes, the Paynesville Classic Boat Rally and Maritime Festival has grown over the past decade to become one of East Gippsland’s signature events.
The 2026 Paynesville Classic Boat Rally and Maritime Festival was officially launched last Wednesday, November 5, and more than 50 invited guests gathered at the Gippsland Lakes Yacht Club to learn about plans for the upcoming 2026 Classic Boat Rally.
A major drawcard announced for next year’s event is the new partnership with the Boating Industry Association of Victoria (BIAV) who will host the inaugural Gippsland Lakes Boat Show. This Show will run in tandem with the Classic Boat Rally event in Paynesville next February/March.
BIAV board member Alistair Murray AM provided a glimpse of the boat show which will offer a large on-land exhibition area, marina and waterside exhibits, and an area dedicated to off-the-beach sea trials.
As well as the inaugural boat show, another new attraction to the 2026 Classic Boat Rally will be the tall ship, Enterprize, making her way to the Gippsland Lakes from Port Melbourne.
The 27-metre topsail schooner will arrive in Paynesville a week early to allow school students to tour the vessel, take short sailing trips, and will also be available for on-board tours throughout the Rally weekend.
Guests attending the launch had the opportunity to hear the remarkable story of entrepreneur and aviator Michael Smith, who was raised on Raymond Island. Michael recounted the story of his solo circumnavigation of the world in a single engine flying boat, his deep connections to the Paynesville and surrounding community, and his strong support for the Classic Boat Rally event as a local business owner of Sun Cinema Bairnsdale.
Rally organisers are keen to promote the benefits available for local and regional businesses to become involved in the rally through a range of sponsorship packages. Several thousand visitors converge in Paynesville during the rally weekend and those numbers are predicted to increase significantly in 2026 with the addition of the Gippsland Lakes Boat Show.
Local accommodation providers, retailers, restaurants, tourism operators and other businesses are encouraged to participate and benefit from the Rally’s year on year growth.
