In a yacht race in Australia, two sailors were killed in separate incidents by wild weather stones

Two sailors have died at sea in separate incidents during the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, forcing the beloved Master Lock Comanche to withdraw amid mass retirements, organizers said on Friday.

The race will continue as the fleet sails into Constitution Dock in Hobart, with the first boats expected to arrive on Friday or early Saturday morning.

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) in Sydney, which runs the yacht race, said two sailors, one aboard the Flying Fish Arctos yacht and the other aboard the Bowline yacht, were killed when a large vessel exploded. the horizontal mast under the sail.

The incident on the Flying Fish Arctos occurred 30 nautical miles east-southeast of Ulladulla, on the south coast of New South Wales. Crew members attempted CPR but were unable to revive their teammates.

A crew member on the Bowline was struck and passed out about 30 nautical miles east/northeast of Batemans Bay, CPR was also unsuccessful.

“Our thoughts are with the crew, family and friends of the deceased,” CYCA said in a statement.

The deaths come 26 years after six sailors were killed in storms during the race in 1998, prompting a state coronial inquiry and massive reforms to safety protocols governing the race.