2 Deaths In ‘Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race’

NOTE: This will be our last post on the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race until 2025. For further updates including during the race, see our ‘Watch LIVE’ page.

There have been 2 deaths overnight in the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race onboard the vessels Flying Fish Arctos and Bowline, both since retired & at port. The former at Jervis Bay while the latter is at Batemans Bay, both since 7am.

This report of the tragedies came through at around 4:20am Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT).

These are tragically the 1st deaths since the infamous 1998 race when 6 died.

The Race Committee were advised both crew members, who were general deckwork crew members, were hit by the boom during a sail change, both receiving head injuries with the Flying Fish Arctos sailor, who was a 55-year-old male from Western Australia, receiving injuries that were significant. The other sailor was a 65-year-old male from South Australia.

Flying Fish Arctos was sailing approximately 30 nautical miles (56 kilometres) east/south-east of Ulladulla while at 2.15am, Bowline was approximately the same distance east/north-east of Batemans Bay. Fellow crew members performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but they could not revive their fellow crew members. About 11.50pm, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) in Canberra received a mayday from Flying Fish Arctos, who requested urgent assistance. AMSA then immediately notified New South Wales (NSW) Police Marine Area Command (MAC) of the events onboard Flying Fish Arctos & Bowline. In Flying Fish Arcto‘s case, the NSW Water Police were deployed from Port Kembla, who escorted the vessel to Jervis Bay.

The wind was a 25 knot (46.3km/h) north-easterly with 45 km/h gusts from the north, which produced a heavy swell.

At 2.15am, in Bowline‘s case, officers from the NSW Police MAC were then informed that the yacht was requesting urgent assistance & that the substantial CPR attempt was unsuccessful. In both cases, the deaths are now being dealt with by NSW Police. The NSW Police vessel, Nemesis, who was in short range of that yacht was deployed & escorted Bowline to Batemans Bay, where it was moored at Snapper Rocks. A 2nd male person was also injured on Bowline with a suspected broken or dislocated shoulder. That person was medivac onto a Police vessel & then onto an ambulance at Batemans Bay at 8:40am.

NSW Police said both crews, who have been offered counselling, were doing it tough and were shaken by what they have seen and had to do.

The Race Director contacted the vessels to give them support by, for example, finding out the situation and what help they needed.

All family members were yet to be contacted by 5:32am AEDT including next of kin but all were contacted by 8:30am AEDT. Western Australia Police helped in contacting the Western Australian sailor’s next of kin. NSW Police held a press conference in daylight between these hours at which point the South Australia sailor’s family had been all contacted:

At the time of the press conference, Crime Scene investigators were still on board the yachts, which were seized as evidence & will collect instrumentation data. NSW Police will also take all the data from their satellite imagery. Water Police, Far South Coast Command & Batemans Bay detectives were interviewing all crew members. These all be assessed and evaluated before 2 evidence briefs will be prepared for the Coroner, after the race has concluded.

The Cruising Yacht Club Of Australia (CYCA) will conduct an investigation & implement any measures recommended to prevent future similar tragedies.

A press conference, held by the CYCA’s Vice Commodore, David Jacobs, was held at the CYCA at 8:30am AEDT:

The 10am AEDT update show was cancelled. This post will be providing the update of all events up to 4pm AEDT 27th December from 2pm AEDT the day prior.

It has been a significant challenging period for search & rescue conducted by New South Wales Police but it’s also timely that I, I, I reach out to, um, other members of our rescue agencies at this time of year. Men & women of New South Wales Police are still out there with the fleet continuing south. It’s going to be a challenging night in Bass Strait. There’s big seas coming, um, but our ambulance, our marine rescue people keeping our waters safe. They need to be recognised & remembered for giving up their weekends, their days, there nights to be out there looking after our community.

Superintendent Joseph McNulty, NSW Police MAC

Other Race News

Since the race start, there have been 16 retirements including 3 dismastings reducing the fleet to 88 yachts.

At 4:10pm AEDT, Alive retired due to engine issues then at 6:20pm AEDT off Kiama, Transcendence Rudy Project was the 1st of 3 to lose her mast. Transcendence Rudy Project co-skipper, Martin Cross, said he and his son, John, who is the other skipper, were “ok & were heading to New Shellharbour for the night”. At the time, LawConnect, in 2nd place, was 9.5 nautical miles (18 kilometres) in front of 3rd placer, Wild Thing 100.

At 8:14pm AEDT, Ciao Bella retired after her steering cable snapped.

Nearly simultaneously at 10:20pm AEDT, the next retirements occurred on URM Group & Philosopher. Both lost their masts. At the time URM Group was 4th in the race sailing 65 nautical miles (120 kilometres) southeast of Montague Island while Philospher was 6 nautical miles (30 kilometres) east of Jervis Bay, which is where they headed to while URM Group went to Eden.

The most prominent retirement overnight then came at 12:20am with Master Lock Comanche, who was race leader at the time, 63 nautical miles (117 kilometres) off Green Cape retiring as 1 of 2 with main sail damage. It was Comanche‘s 1st retirement ever in the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. LawConnect became the new race leader.

10 minutes later, Wild retired with rigging damage.

At 3:14am AEDT, 51 nautical miles (95 kilometres) south-east of Eden, onboard Porco Rosso, a 37-year-old male crew member, Luke Williams, was swept overboard. 2.31 kilometres after the incident, the Race Committee informed the yacht that the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) received a satellite message from an activated personal location beacon. Porco Rosso immediately begun their search while AMSA set out a jet & Race organisers diverted a racing yacht to help while NSW Police dispatched a launch & were ready to also dispatch a helicopter from Water Police in Eden. Some racing or retired yachts diverted to assist with the search. Just after 4:14am, Porco Rosso ended up finding the person, who was cold but alive, healthy & well. They also retired & are at port in Eden.

Before 8:30am, along the New South Wales coast, there was 25 knot (46 kilometres/hour) northerly wind. The leading yachts were travelling between 25 to 30 knots (56 kilometres/hour). The sea was not unusually large. Some crew members have received minor injuries. At 8:30am the fleet hit a westerly which turned south & as they reach Tasmania, south-westerly.

I was downstairs. We were about to get the A4 off then there was a big bang & a big collapse. The mast broke 1½ metres above the deck, right above the instruments. The boys did a really good job of cutting the rig away & we are heading to Eden. We’re all pretty gutted. The boat was really lit up. We were doing really well. We were averaging 20 knots in 25 knots of breeze.

Alice Parker, ‘URM Group’ Navigator

The mast broke in 3 places – we had to cut away the top section that was in danger of damaging the hull. Shame, as we were going so well.

Martin Cross, ‘Transcendence Rudy Project’ co-skipper