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Organizers say 2 sailors died in Sydney-to-Hobart yacht race

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Organizers say 2 sailors died in Sydney-to-Hobart yacht race
December 26, 2024
Article Body Text sydney — Organizers said Friday that two Sydney-to-Hobart sailors died at sea amid wild weather that forced many retirements, including the favorite to finish first, Master Lock Comanche. The race will proceed as the fleet continues its passage to Constitution Dock in Hobart, with the first boats expected to arrive later on Friday or early Saturday morning. The race is 628 nautical miles (722 miles, 1,160 kilometers) long. The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Sydney, which administers the yacht race, said that one sailor each on entrants Flying Fish Arctos and Bowline were killed after being struck by the boom, a large horizontal pole at the bottom of the sail. The incident aboard Flying Fish Arctos occurred around 30 nautical miles east-southeast of Ulladulla on the New South Wales south coast. Crew members attempted CPR but could not revive their teammate. The crew member aboard Bowline was struck approximately 30 nautical miles east-northeast of Batemans Bay and fell unconscious, with CPR also unsuccessful. A police vessel was escorting Bowline to Batemans Bay, where she was expected to arrive later Friday morning. "As these incidents are being dealt with by the Water Police and all family members are yet to be contacted, we cannot provide further details at this stage," the CYCA said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with the crews, family and friends of the deceased." Flying Fish Arctos, a New South Wales-based 50-footer, has contested 17 previous Hobarts since being built in 2001. The boat was designed for around-the-world sailing and is currently used by Flying Fish, a sailing school that operates in Mosman, a suburb on Sydney's north shore. The deaths came 26 years after six sailors were killed in storms during the 1998 running of the race, which triggered a state coronial inquest and mass reforms to the safety protocols that govern the race. The first all-Filipino crew of 15 sailors was entered in the 2024 race, but was among about 15 retirements because of weather. With veteran sailor Ernesto Echauz at the helm, Centennial 7 was one of six international entrants and included sailors from the Philippine national team and the Philippine navy. Last year, LawConnect was first to cross the finish line after holding off defending champion Comanche by less than a minute in an exciting finish between the super maxis. LawConnect, which was runner-up in the previous three editions of the race, finished in 1 day, 19 hours, 3 minutes, 58 seconds. Comanche's time was 1 day, 19 hours, 4 minutes, 49 seconds — a margin of just 51 seconds. It was the second-closest finish in Sydney-to-Hobart history after Condor of Bermuda beat Apollo by seven seconds in 1982. Comanche holds the race record of 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes, 24 seconds, set when it won in 2017. LawConnect, which led out of Sydney Harbor, was leading the 2024 race but still had 400 nautical miles before reaching Hobart, indicating an overnight finish. Celestial V70 was in second place, about 10 nautical miles behind LawConnect.
Content Type Text
Language English
NewsML Media Topics Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
Subtitles / Dubbing Available No
Network VOA
Embargo Date December 26, 2024 17:31 EST
Byline Associated Press
Brand / Language Service Voice of America - English