the essential
Two sailors were killed in two separate accidents during the famous Sydney-Hobart sailing race in Australia which takes place in violent winds, organizers announced.
The two crew members, on board the Flying Fish boats Arctos and Bowline, were struck by the boom while they were off the coast of New South Wales on Friday (Thursday in Europe) after leaving from Sydney. The favorite ship, Comanche, was also forced to abandon this race of more than 1,000 kilometers which links Sydney to Hobart on the island of Tasmania via the Bass Strait, in the south-east of the Australia.
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The other crew members attempted to resuscitate their teammates but without success. “These accidents are under investigation by the maritime police and all family members have yet to be contacted, so we cannot provide further details,” race management said in a brief statement. In 1998, six sailors were killed and five boats sank while 55 participants had to be rescued when a hurricane hit the race.
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Many abandonments
Strong winds and rough seas were forecast for this race of some 630 nautical miles which has been taking place since 1945. Of the 104 ships at the start, 16 have already been forced to abandon, said the organizers, including the favorite Comanche which had set a record for the event in 2017 in 1 day 9 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds.
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During the two accidents, “the winds propelled the competitors at speeds of between 25 and 30 knots (46 and 55 km/h), which is very fast. But the seas were not particularly rough according to the information I received “, said David Jacob, vice-president of the Australian Sailing Club. “These boats can face such winds easily. They are ocean-going ships, they are used to them.”
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“The race will continue,” he added while recognizing that the two deaths would “have a very strong impact”. David Jacob promised a yacht club investigation to help improve safety during the event while ensuring the race would go ahead. It is “heartbreaking that two lives are lost in what should be a moment of joy,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement. The winner of last year's edition, LawConnect, was leading the race late Friday morning with a 13-mile lead over rival Celestial. The only French boat to have won the Sydney-Hobart is Pen Duick III with Eric Tabarly in 1967.
