Crew members on The Flying Fish Arctos and Bowline yachts suffered fatal blows overnight and succumbed to their injuries. Another sailor was swept overboard and subsequently rescued.
Both fatalities occurred approximately 30 nautical miles off the coast of NSW. The Bowline vessel was east/north east of Batemans Bay when a 65 year old male crew member from South Australia was thrown by the yacht’s mainsheet and hit his head on a winch. CPR was administered, according to race officials, but was unsuccessful.
The Flying Fish Arctos yacht was close to Ulladulla when Roy Quaden, a 55 year old crew member suffered a fatal blow to the head from the boom. The sailor was from Western Australia.
“There have been, tragically, two separate deaths overnight in the 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, involving the vessels Flying Fish Arctos (NSW) and Bowline (SA),” an official statement reads.
The Sydney to Hobart race organisation states that the NSW Water Police is overseeing the fatalities and further information will be provided in due course. Investigations into the incidents are underway and both vessels are in the possession of police.
The first tragedy occurred at 11.50pm on Thursday 26 December. The Flying Fish Arctos yacht subsequently altered its course to Jervis Bay where it was taken into possession of authorities.
The second fatal incident was reported at 2:15am, according to NSW Water Police. CPR was administered to sailor Nick Smith on board Bowline but was unsuccessful. A police vessel escorted the yacht and crew to Batemans Bay early this morning.
In a third separate incident, a crew member on the Porco Rosso yacht was swept overboard and subsequently rescued. The mandatory emergency position-indicating radio beacon enabled the crew member to be located in the ocean 1.2 km away from the yacht.
David Jacobs is the Vice Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club (CYCA) which oversees the race.
“Fortunately, there are developed systems and procedures to cater for that situation to retrieve the person,” Jacobs stated in a press conference. “That is one of the most terrifying experiences that you can have. It was at night, which makes it tenfold more scary.”
The Porco Rosso vessel retired at 4.45am after the rescue and headed to Eden on the NSW coast. The man overboard spent around an hour in the ocean, according to NSW police. He is healthy and well according to CYC and now making his way to Hobart.
Twenty-two yachts have retired from the race so far, including Master Lock Comanche which took an early lead and was a favourite to win.
Last year’s line honours winner LawConnect, skippered by Christian Beck, is leading as the remaining yachts head into the Bass Strait stretch of the race. NSW police note that conditions in the Tasmania region are challenging.
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