Organizers said on Friday that two sailors had died in separate incidents at sea in a yacht race from Sydney to Hobart in which line honors favorite Master Lock Comanche was forced to withdraw due to mass casualties.
The racing continues as the fleet heads to Constitution Dock in Hobart. The first boats are expected to arrive later Friday or early Saturday morning.
The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) in Sydney, which manages the yacht race, has said two sailors, one on the yacht Flying Fish Arctos and the other on the yacht Bowline, were killed after they were hit by the large barrier were horizontal rod at the bottom of the sail.
The incident on board the Flying Fish Arctos occurred approximately 30 nautical miles east-southeast of Ulladulla on the New South Wales south coast. Crew members attempted CPR but were unable to revive their teammate.
The crew member on board the Bowline was hit approximately 30 nautical miles east/northeast of Batemans Bay and lost consciousness, and resuscitation was also unsuccessful.
“Our thoughts are with the crews, family and friends of the deceased,” the CYCA said in a statement.
The deaths come 26 years after six sailors died in storms while running the race in 1998, triggering a government coronary investigation and sweeping reforms to the race’s safety protocols.
