Two Fatalities Reported in Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

Australia’s iconic Sydney to Hobart yacht race has been marred by tragedy, with two participants losing their lives in separate incidents involving accidents with a boom, the horizontal pole attached to the bottom of a sail.

The incidents occurred aboard the Flying Fish Arctos and Bowline, according to race organizers. New South Wales (NSW) police reported that the first incident was brought to their attention shortly before midnight on Thursday local time (12:50 GMT). The second incident was reported just over two hours later, at 2:15 a.m. on Friday, after attempts at CPR proved unsuccessful.

The Flying Fish Arctos was approximately 30 nautical miles east/southeast of Ulladulla when the first accident occurred. The second fatality aboard the Bowline happened around 30 nautical miles east/northeast of Batemans Bay, NSW.

Organizers expressed their condolences, stating, “Our thoughts are with the crews, family, and friends of the deceased.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also offered his sympathies, saying, “The Sydney to Hobart is an Australian tradition, and it is heart-breaking that two lives have been lost at what should be a time of joy.”

Despite the tragedies, the race, which began on Thursday, continues. The first yachts are expected to arrive in Hobart, Tasmania, by late Friday or early Saturday, though severe weather conditions have already forced several teams to retire.

The event, first held in 1945, has faced fatalities in the past, including the devastating 1998 race when raging storms claimed six lives, among them British Olympic yachtsman Glyn Charles.