Bengal 7 is the ninth time a Japanese crew have entered the race, the last being Summer Boy (Eiichiro Tatsui) in 1997. She is a 54ft yacht designed by Tom Humphreys and built by Hakes Marine Limited and was launched in October 2010. Bengal 7 competed in her maiden regatta at Okinawa-Tokai Yacht Race in May 2012 and claimed line honours as well as overall victory. She will be sailing to Sydney from her homeport in Japan to compete in this year's blue water classic, giving her some long ocean miles in anticipation of the race ahead.

Skipper, Yoshiko Murase, is a gynecologist who runs the Kanayama Lady's Clinic in Japan, hence the reason why the yacht is sailing under the moniker of KLC Bengal 7. An experienced ocean racer, Murase competed in the Melbourne/Osaka Double-handed yacht race in 1991 and 1995, with a former Bengal. He has also competed in six consecutive Transpacific Yacht Races since 2001.