Organizers said Friday that two sailors died at sea in separate accidents as a result of severe weather conditions during the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, forcing the line of honor of the Master Lock Comanche's favorite captain into a mass retirement.
Racing will continue once the fleet arrives at Constitution Dock in Hobart, with the first boats expected to arrive later on Friday or early Saturday morning.
The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) in Sydney, which manages the regatta, said two sailors, one on the Flying Fish yacht Arctos and the other on the yacht Bowline, died after the boom struck the horizontal post 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 cardiopulmonary resuscitation but were unable to revive their teammate.
A crew member on board Bowline was struck approximately 30 nautical miles east/northeast of Batemans Bay and lost consciousness, and resuscitation efforts were also unsuccessful.
“Our thoughts are with the crew, family and friends of the deceased,” CYCA said in a statement.
The deaths come 26 years after six sailors died in a storm during the 1998 regatta, prompting a coronial inquest and massive reforms to safety protocols in place during the regatta.