Young and Talented Vaikobi 18ft Skiff Trio Leading the Charge for 2025 Australian 18 Footers League

The Australian 18 Footers League’s 2025-26 season sees a new, spirited contender rising up in ranks - the Vaikobi 18ft Skiff Team. This vibrant team is led by the champion of the Australian Cherub class, Kirk Mitchell. Alongside him are the proficient hands of Andrew Stephenson and Daniel Barnett. Navigating their fourth season together, the team hopes for triumphant winds in their journey this time around. Having graduated from the Cherub 12ft dinghy class, the trio is seasoned in triumphing at regattas, albeit their success in the 18s is yet to match their sky-high expectations.

Mitchell and Stephenson, a formidable duo, won the Australian Cherub Championship during the 2013-14 season before sealing the runner-up spot in the next. Their seafaring legacy didn’t stop there. Mitchell later teamed up with Daniel Barnett and Tim Westwood, another seasoned team, to steer Noakes Youth/Vintec in the 2017-18 season, finishing 12th in the 2018 Giltinan Championship.

Daniel Barnett carries the legacy of one of the most prominent families in the 18 footer class. His grand-father Don Barnett won the 1967 World 18 Footer Championship, and his father, Phil Barnett is a multiple World championships laureate.

The Vaikobi team, bolstered by raw talent, knows its merits exceed its current Giltinan results. Acknowledging the sting of disappointment, they are hopeful about the forthcoming season and their run at the Giltinans. The underpinnings of their optimism lie in their indisputable team ability and the steadfast support of their generous sponsor, Vaikobi.

The upcoming 2025-26 League season forecasts the Vaikobi team as one of the frontrunners. With the winds of fortune favoring them, they are all set to achieve their best result at the Giltinan Championship. The season unfurls on October 12 as the first race of the Spring Championship takes Sydney Harbour by storm.