Stacer has handed its 2025-26 National Dealer of the Year trophy to a Sydney operator that has represented the brand for more than a decade.
Blakes Marine, based in western Sydney, was named National Dealer of the Year at the aluminium boatbuilder's annual awards, capping a 14-year run with the brand. The awards were announced on 22 April 2026 after being presented at a ceremony on 24 March, with state winners recognised across Victoria and Tasmania, South Australia and the Northern Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia.
"The award is a testament to the team's dedication and their passion for helping customers get the most out of their boating experience," said Lee Blake of Blakes Marine.
The Best New Dealer award went to Adventure Marine QLD, a first-year Stacer partner that picked up the gong for its early work in an overcrowded Queensland tinny market. The state-level winners were:
VIC/TAS: Molin Motorcycle & Marine SA/NT: Murray Marine Centre NSW: Blakes Marine QLD: Sunstate Powersports WA: Mandurah Boat Shop
"The awards go far beyond strong sales performance, recognising the dealerships that truly bring the Stacer brand to life," Jackson said.
The judging criteria cover staff professionalism, product knowledge, customer interactions, stock management, showroom presentation and after-sales support — a framework designed to reward dealers who see a tinny purchase as the start of a customer relationship rather than the end of it.
For anglers, the result has practical implications. Stacer remains one of the dominant names in the Australian tinny market, and the dealer-of-the-year shortlist is one of the more reliable guides to which shops are actually set up to service a boat through a 10-year rigging cycle. Blakes Marine's win is a vote for that long-tail approach.
Jackson said the recognition supports Stacer's broader push to "make boating more accessible and enjoyable" across Australia — a mission that, in fishing terms, translates to getting more first-time buyers on the water with a rig they will not have to argue with 12 months in.
The 2025-26 result also signals a tight fight at the top of the Stacer dealer ladder. With Blakes Marine taking the national award and Mandurah Boat Shop, Sunstate Powersports, Molin Motorcycle & Marine and Murray Marine Centre each claiming their states, the brand's network looks evenly matched across most of the country — good news for anglers weighing up a new rig outside the capital cities.
