Two experienced sailors died in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, the first fatalities in the prestigious event since 1998. Organizers of the race and local authorities confirmed the deaths on Friday, attributing both incidents to accidents involving the sail boom, a horizontal pole used to hold down sails that can swing violently with changing wind directions.
Nick Smith, 65-year-old from South Australia. He was a member of the crew on the Bowline and had raced for the fifth time in it. He was knocked on the head by the mainsheet, which hurled him across the boat so that he hit his head against a winch and became fatally injured. Hours later, Roy Quaden, the 55-year-old from Western Australia who has accumulated two decades of experience of sailing, was knocked to the ground by the boom of the Flying Fish Arctos’s sail as he died.
David Jacobs, vice commodore at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, expressed deep sorrow over the losses. “The sailing community is very close-knit, and losing two sailors in this manner is devastating,” he said. Jacobs assured that safety measures would be reviewed and enhanced following an investigation into the incidents.
In what’s currently its 79th installment, the race has continued to face tough conditions-weather has been bad on several occasions, forcing the yachts to withdraw from the race. Law Connect has emerged as the winner of the race in South Pacific.
The last fatalities in the Sydney to Hobart race occurred in 1998 when a severe storm sank five boats, killing six sailors. The recent incidents underline the inherent risks of competitive ocean racing, which are now being renewed calls for vigilance and improved safety protocols.
