They were hit by the boom of their boat: two sailors die in two accidents during the famous Sydney-Hobart race

Les autres membres d’équipage ont tenté de réanimer leurs coéquipiers mais sans succès. AAP – MARK EVANS

Deux navigateurs sont morts ce vendredi 27 décembre 2024 lors de deux accidents distincts pendant la célèbre course à la voile Sydney-Hobart en Australie, qui se déroule sous des vents violents.

They are the first victims since 1998 in this race of more than 1,000 kilometres which links Sydney to Hobart on the island of Tasmania via the Bass Strait, in the south-east of Australia.

The favourite Comanche was also forced to abandon the event due to extremely rough conditions shortly after it left Sydney on Thursday.

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The boat's boom is believed to have swung

The two crew members killed, a 55-year-old from the Flying Fish Arctos and a 65-year-old from the Bowline, were struck by the boom while they were sailing off the coast of New South Wales state.

Police believe the crews were changing sails when the boom swung, said Joseph McNulty, superintendent of the Maritime Area Command in Sydney. New South Wales.

“The hull, the sail and the boom are moving. The sail change is technical. That must have contributed to the deaths of these people,” he told reporters.

“These two teams are having a hard time right now. They are shaken by what they saw and what they had to do.”

The other crew members tried to resuscitate their teammates but were unsuccessful.

In 1998, six sailors were killed and five boats sank while 55 participants had to be rescued when a hurricane hit the race.

Many abandonments

Strong winds and rough seas were expected for this race of some 630 nautical miles (nearly 1,200 kilometers) which has been held since 1945.

Of the 104 boats at the start, 17 have already been forced to abandon the race, the organizers said, including the favorite Comanche, which had set a record for the event in 2017 of 1 day 9 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds.

During the two accidents, “the winds were propelling the competitors at speeds of between 25 and 30 knots (46 and 55 km/h), which is very fast. But the seas were not particularly rough according to the information I received”, said David Jacobs, vice-president of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, which organizes the race. “These boats can handle these winds with ease. They are ocean-going vessels, they are used to it.”

“The race will go on,”, he added, while acknowledging that the two deaths would “have a very strong impact.” David Jacobs promised an inquiry to help improve safety during the event while ensuring that the race would go ahead.

It is “heartbreaking that two lives have been lost in what should be a joyous moment,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a press release.

The winner of last year's edition, LawConnect, was leading the race early Friday afternoon with an 18-nautical-mile lead over its rival Celestial.

The only French boat to have won the Sydney-Hobart is Pen Duick III with Eric Tabarly in 1967.