Two sailors have been killed in separate incidents in the treacherous Sydney to Hobart bluewater classic, organisers said Friday, as a string of yachts limped out of a race fleet battered by powerful winds.
Both crew members — on Flying Fish Arctos and Bowline — were hit by booms as the yachts raced southwards along the New South Wales coast after setting off from Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day.
Other crew tried to revive them but were unsuccessful. They were the first fatalities in the race since 1998.
The race committee said it could not provide further details of the deaths because police were investigating and some family members were yet to be contacted.
“Our thoughts are with the crews, family and friends of the deceased,” it said in a statement.
New South Wales police said the boat crews had notified them of the two deaths during the night.
The lead boats experienced winds overnight of 25 to 30 knots — near gale force, said David Jacobs, vice commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.
“So they’re travelling extremely fast,” he told reporters.
“The sea was not unusually large from the information I have received,” he said.
– ‘Devastated’ –
The deaths would hit the racing community hard, Jacobs said.
“On a boat itself they train together, live together, cook together, they do everything together. It would be devastating, as we are devastated,” he said.
He promised an investigation by the yacht club to help improve safety in the event but said the race would go on.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese issued a statement saying it was “heartbreaking that two lives have been lost at what should have been a time of joy”.
Gale-force winds and high seas had been forecast for the 628-nautical mile event, which ends in the Tasmanian state capital Hobart after the fleet tackles the notorious Bass Strait.
But this was not an “extreme” forecast, Jacobs said.
“These fleets can handle those winds easily. They are ocean racers, they are used to the winds,” he said.
In a night of drama, one sailor was swept overboard at night from the yacht Porco Rosso and carried more than a kilometre (more than half a mile) away before being rescued by the crew of his own boat, Jacobs said.
Weather is a critical factor in the race, first held in 1945, with winds and conditions often changing rapidly.
The overnight fatalities were the first in the race since 1998 when six men died, five boats sank and 55 sailors were rescued after a deep depression exploded over the fleet in Bass Strait.
– Record holder retires –
So far 16 yachts — including race record holder Comanche — have pulled out from this year’s initial fleet of 104, Jacobs said.
Three of them were dismasted and two suffered damaged mainsails.
Comanche’s retirement left the door open for supermaxi rival LawConnect to win line honours for the second straight year.
Comanche, which surged over the finish line in one day, 9 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds to set a new mark in 2017, was leading when she retired.
LawConnect held a lead of more than 13 nautical miles by late Friday morning over its nearest rival Celestial.
Wild Oats, which has twice won the race — the last time in 2014 — was another casualty, with rigging damage.
Alive, last year’s overall winner of the Tattersall Cup, which takes into account boat size and other factors, was one of the first casualties this year, retiring with engine issues.
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