Calls are growing for the Sydney to Hobart sailing race after two men on separate boats were killed by out-of-control sail booms.
The sailors, who have yet to be identified, were killed when the fleet encountered severe weather conditions late on Thursday evening.
A sailor aboard Flying Fish Arctos and another on Bowline were fatally struck by their respective boat’s boom, the large horizontal pole at the bottom of the mainsail.
Both yachts have now withdrawn from the race.
Angry Aussies called on Friday for the race to be banned or at least postponed.
“Cancel the race, it will endanger people’s lives,” said one.
“They really need to BANN this event,” said another.
“If they know the weather is going to be deadly, why don’t they delay the start of the race for a day or two,” a third wondered.
The deaths occurred when the boats encountered harsh conditions late Thursday evening
The crew member on board the Bowline was struck about 30 nautical miles north-east of Batemans Bay at around 2am on Friday and fell unconscious, with resuscitation unsuccessful.
“This race should be held at a different time of year,” a fourth suggested.
“There have been deaths for several years. People’s lives are worth more than glory or excitement.’
However, organizers insist this year’s iconic race will go ahead despite the two fatalities and deny sailing conditions were unsafe.
Cruising Yacht Club of Australia vice-commodore David Jacobs said the ongoing race would “absolutely” go ahead, with the first boats expected to arrive in Hobart later on Friday or early Saturday morning.
He was confident that the weather forecast had not predicted fatal circumstances.
‘We had the Bureau of Meteorology come in for two race briefings: one a few days before and one on the day of the race. The forecast was strong winds to gale force winds,” Mr Jacobs said.
‘These fleets can handle those conditions. They are ocean racers, they are used to that wind. These were not extreme circumstances.’
Mr Jacobs also confirmed that the club is investigating the deaths.
David Jacobs, deputy commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, said the ongoing race would ‘absolutely’ go ahead (he is pictured at a press conference on Friday)
By Friday morning, 17 boats, including the two that resulted in fatalities, had withdrawn from the race, leaving 87 competitors.
‘Until there is an investigation and we find out exactly what happened, it’s difficult to know.
‘The club will investigate. And if boats can do something to prevent this, we will implement it.
‘If you say it is an amateur team, there are very specific safety requirements that we impose.
‘Half the crew must drive at least one category 1 race. “Half the crew must complete a sea survival safety course, and the boat will undergo a full equipment evaluation.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to the sailors who died in a statement on Friday morning.
“We have sadly woken up to tragedy on the flight from Sydney to Hobart with the devastating news that two sailors have lost their lives,” he said.
“Our thoughts are with the crews, their families and loved ones at this deeply sad time.”
The incident on board Flying Fish Arctos occurred late on Thursday evening around 30 nautical miles east-southeast of Ulladulla on the NSW south coast.
Mr Jacobs confirmed the club was investigating the deaths
Crew members attempted CPR but were unable to revive their teammate. They notified the Australian Maritime Safety Authority of the incident at around 11:50 p.m.
Flying Fish Arctos has since changed course to arrive in Jervis Bay on Friday morning.
The crew member on board the Bowline was struck about 30 nautical miles north-east of Batemans Bay at around 2am and fell unconscious, with resuscitation also unsuccessful. A police vessel escorted the boat to Batemans Bay.
Along with Bowline and Flying Fish Arctos, a further 15 yachts had withdrawn from the race by Friday morning, leaving 87 competitors.
Three boats were demasted by strong winds and another, Porco Rosso, had to rescue a crew member who was swept overboard in pitch darkness.
Line honors favorite Master Lock Comanche was leading the fleet when she withdrew from the race at Green Cape early on Friday morning after sustaining damage to her mainsail while leading the fleet.
Her retirement has led rival 100ft supermaxi LawConnect to favoritism for back-to-back line honors titles.
At 0845, Christian Beck’s boat was 8 nautical miles ahead of the second-placed Celestial V70, sailing through Bass Strait.
The two deaths were the first in the 628-nautical-mile race since the tragic 1998 Hobart, which took the lives of six sailors in storms and led to massive reforms to safety protocols.