Two sailors lost their lives during Australia’s prestigious annual yacht race, the Sydney to Hobart, after being struck by the sail boom, a horizontal pole that holds down the sails.
The tragic incidents occurred during the first night of the race, according to a statement from the race organisers on Friday.
The victims were identified as Roy Quaden, 55, from Western Australia, and Nick Smith, 65, from South Australia.
Both were participating in the grueling 630 nautical-mile event when the incidents unfolded about 30 nautical miles (56 km) off the New South Wales coast.
Quaden was aboard the yacht Flying Fish Arctos, while Smith was part of the crew on Bowline.
Despite efforts by their respective crews to revive them, both men succumbed to their injuries.
New South Wales Marine Area Command Superintendent Joseph McNulty explained that the sailors were likely struck by the booms during a technical sail change at sea.
“The hull moves, the sails are moving, the booms are moving. It’s a technical change of sail at sea. So that may have contributed to the deaths of those people today,” McNulty told reporters.
He added, “Both those crews are doing it pretty tough at the moment. They are shaken up by what they’ve seen and what they’ve had to do.”
The tragedy prompted an outpouring of condolences, including from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who expressed his sympathies in a post on X.
“The Sydney to Hobart is an Australian tradition, and it is heartbreaking that two lives have been lost at what should be a time of joy,” Albanese said. “We send our love and deepest condolences to their families, friends and loved ones.”
First held in 1945, the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is renowned for being one of the world’s toughest and most prestigious sailing events.
Over its nearly 80-year history, the race has claimed 13 lives, including six sailors who perished during storms in the 1998 edition.
