Type: Beneteau First 40.7
Skipper: Denny Vaughan
Class: Racing Division, Class 2
Handicap Ranking: 6
Time Allowance: 61
Hailing Port: Seattle, WA
Hull Colour: White
LOA: 39.34'
Beam: 12.34'
Draft: 7.87'
Yacht Club: Corinthian Yacht Club
Designer: Bruce Farr
Builder: Beneteau France
Launch Date: 1999
Rig: Fractional Sloop
Sail Number: 46720
Website: http://facebook.com/people/Bravo-Zulo/100002550640809
Status: ZZ-2012

Bravo Zulu, which means "Well Done" in Navy flag communications, was named by the skipper's family as a tribute to his exceptional 35 years in the US Navy.  He spent a lot of those years either stationed in Hawaii or passing through on his way to the Far East and beyond.  Now he says he is looking forward to returning by sail while representing the Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle. 

Even though his crew is experienced in offshore racing, including participating in all of the qualifying races of Van Isle 360, Southern Straits and Swiftsure, this will be the first time that any of them have raced in the Vic-Maui.

Denny says that one of the compelling reasons for deciding to race in this year's Vic-Maui was that this boat needed to finish what she had started.  During the 2008 Vic-Maui, when she was named "Something Wicked" and owned by Kevin and Sandy Reath, she had made it a little over half way when her rudder blew apart, and they had to sail 800 miles back to San Francisco with a make shift steering system.

Having visited Lahaina Yacht Club numerous times this past year, Denny says that the Race Committee and the Yacht Club's members and employees are fantastic and eager to welcome us to Lahaina.  His only concern is running into the Japanese tsunami debris field.