Wild Factor avoids Alive after the beginning of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race in Sydney, Australia on December 26, 2024. — Reuters
Two sailors have been killed in separate incidents within the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, organisers and native authorities mentioned on Friday, the primary lack of life within the prestigious ocean race since 1998.
Race organisers mentioned in a press release on their websitethat each crew members died after they have been hit by the sail growth, a horizontal pole which holds down the sails and swings relying on the course of the wind.
New South Wales police mentioned they have been knowledgeable simply earlier than midnight {that a} crew member of 1 Sydney to Hobart entry was struck by a sail growth.Â
Fellow crew members carried out cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) however the sailor couldn’t be revived.
A few hours later a crew member on one other vessel was reported to have additionally been struck by a sail growth and died.
Race organisers recognized Flying Fish Arctos and Bowline because the boats the place the incidents occurred.
“The sailing community is a very close community, and there’s about a thousand sailors on the water in this race and to lose two in this fashion is just devastating,” mentioned David Jacobs, vice commodore at Cruising Yacht Membership of Australia.
“We always want to improve safety wherever we can. So we will do an investigation and if there’s something that boats can do to try and prevent this happening, we will implement it.”
Unhealthy climate has compelled a number of boats to retire from the 79th working of the race, which started on Thursday, leaving Legislation Join as the brand new race chief within the South Pacific.
The final lack of life within the race got here in 1998 when 5 yachts have been sunk and 6 sailors died after a serious storm hit the fleet.
