Two sailors on separate Sydney to Hobart yachts, Flying Fish Arctos and Bowline, have died at sea on the first night of the race. They were fatally struck by a boom – a large horizontal pole at the bottom of the mainsail – and mainsheet on their respective boats amid wild weather conditions that forced line honours favourite Master Lock Comanche to withdraw, among mass retirements.
The incident aboard Flying Fish Arctos occurred about 30 nautical miles [55.5kms] east-south-east of Ulladulla on the NSW south coast, with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) receiving a mayday call just before midnight.
