These are the first victims since 1998 during 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 Australia.
The favorite ship, Comanche, was also forced to abandon due to the extremely difficult conditions which hit the event shortly after its departure from Sydney on Thursday.
The two crew members killed, one, 55 years old, on board the boat Flying Fish Arctos and the other, 65 years old on the boat Bowline, were struck by the boom while they were offshore off the coast of New South Wales.
Police believe the crews were changing sails when the boom tipped, said New South Wales Maritime Area Command superintendent Joseph McNulty.
“The hull, sail and boom are moving. Changing the sail is technical. This must have contributed to the death of these people”he told journalists.
“Both of these teams are having a tough time right now. They are shaken by what they saw and what they had to do.”
The other crew members attempted to resuscitate their teammates but without success.
In 1998, six sailors were killed and five boats sank while 55 participants had to be rescued when a hurricane hit the race.
Many abandonments
Strong winds and rough seas were forecast for this race of some 630 nautical miles (nearly 1,200 kilometers) which has been taking place since 1945.
Of the 104 ships at the start, 17 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.
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 Jacobs, vice-president of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, which organizes the race. “These boats can face such winds easily. They are ocean-going ships, they are used to them.”
“The race will continue”he added while recognizing that the two deaths were going “have a very strong impact”.
David Jacobs promised an investigation to help improve security during the event while ensuring the race would continue.
He 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 early Friday afternoon with an 18 nautical mile lead over its rival Celestial.
The only French boat to have won the Sydney-Hobart is Pen Duick III with Eric Tabarly in 1967.
