Two sailors have died during a famous yacht race in Australia, with their deaths being blamed on poor weather conditions.
Taking place annually since 1945, the Sydney to Hobart yacht race is widely considered one of the world’s most difficult. With a 722-mile route from Australia to Tasmania, participants cross the Tasman Sea and the Bass Strait – the latter of which is renowned for its high winds.
Nick Smith, 65, and Roy Quaden, 55 – who were competing on separate boats – died overnight on Boxing Day.
David Jacobs, vice commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, has told reporters that Smith was hit by the mainsheet (a rope that controls the mainsail of the yacht) of his boat, Bowline, and hit his head on the vessel’s winch. Quaden was struck by the yacht’s boom onboard Flying Fish Arctos. A boom is a horizontal pole designed to support the bottom of a yacht’s mainsail.
He continued that one of the boats faced 30- to 38-knot winds at six to 10-feet seas at the time of the incident. “They’re challenging conditions. You only need to be hit broadside by a wave, and it will knock you across,” he said.
According to Sky News, crew members on Bowline and Flying Fish Arctos administered CPR, but the sailors could not be resuscitated.
Fifteen other yachts have withdrawn from the competition due to weather conditions. Another “terrifying” incident occurred during this year’s race when the crew member of another yacht was swept 1km overboard due to strong winds.
Calling the incident “one of the most terrifying experiences that you can have”, sailor Luke Watkins became pinned to his yacht, Porco Rosso, when it capsized. After managing to unclip himself from the boat, Watkins surfaced “probably 200m” away from the vessel, he told SBS News.
This isn’t the first time participants in the race have lost their lives. In its nearly 80-year history, 13 people have died during the famous competition, with six sailors dying in 1998. One died of a heart attack, and five drowned after a severe storm hit their yachts.
Our thoughts this morning are with the two sailors that tragically lost their lives in the Sydney to Hobart race overnight.
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) December 26, 2024
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.
We send our love…
“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,” Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese posted on X. “We send our love and deepest condolences to their families, friends and loved ones.”
