Sailors killed during Sydney to Hobart yacht race identified

The two sailors tragically killed overnight during the Sydney to Hobart yacht race have been identified.

Two people have been killed in separate incidents during the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Picture: NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone

Police have identified two sailors killed in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race as Roy Quaden, 55, and Nick Smith, 65.

Both men were struck on the head by sail booms amid treacherous conditions that forced 16 boats to retire.

Mr Quaden was a crew member on the Flying Fish Acrtos while Mr Smith was a crew member on Bowline.

Bowline was 30 nautical miles east/northeast of Batemans Bay on the NSW south Coast when Mr Smith was struck with a sail boom shortly before 2am.

The crew performed CPR on him but were unable to revive him, with the NSW Police Marine Command vessel Nemesis escorting the vessel and its crew to Batemans Bay.

The crew of the retired super yacht Bowline were off-loaded by police in Batemans Bay after a crew member died after being struck by the vessels sail boom. Picture: NewsWire/ Hayley Jansen

The crew were later seen disembarking at the seaside town, which is usually populated with tourists during the summer period. It is understood Mr Smith was transported separately.

Hours earlier, police were notified by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority in Canberra that a crew member on-board another yacht had been struck by a sail boom in a separate incident.

Fellow crew members performed CPR on Mr Quaden but he could not be revived before the yacht altered course and was due to arrive in Jervis Bay on the NSW south coast about 7am.

Marine Area Command Superintendent Jospeh McNulty said Mr Quaden had been struck in the head by the boom, which attaches the sail to the mast of the yacht.

“It was moving violently through the night in challenging sea conditions and the crew member suffered a significant head injury,” Superintendent McNulty said on Friday.

“Port Kembla water police was deployed to the vessel to assist and escorted the vessel back into Jervis Bay this morning. Unfortunately, the male person is now deceased.”

The crew were one of two struck by tragedy overnight. Picture: NewsWire/ Hayley Jansen

Superintendent McNulty said the vessel Nemisis had been deployed to the later incident off Batemans Bay and that the crew had done “a pretty substantial job of doing CPR”.

A second crew person on-board the Bowline also suffered a suspected broken or dislocated shoulder during the night and was met by a Batemans Bay ambulance upon arrival.

The men’s deaths mark the first during the famed race since six men lost their lives in a storm during the 1998 event, and have triggered an outpouring of grief from the race community.

Vice Commodore of event organiser the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia David Jacobs described the deaths as a “truly tragic situation” and said they would be investigated.

“The sailing community is a very close community, and there’s about 1000 sailors on the water in this race, and to lose two in this fashion is just devastating,” Mr Jacobs said.

They were brought to shore by NSW Police Marine Area Command. Picture: NewsWire/ Hayley Jansen

“Until there’s an investigation and we find out exactly what happened, it’s difficult to know. The club will do an investigation. We always want to improve safety wherever we can.

“If there’s something that boats can do to try and prevent this happening, we will implement it.”

Mr Jacobs said while ships were forecast to expect strong and potentially gale-force winds in a pre-race briefing with the Bureau of Meteorology, the condition “was not extreme”.

He also confirmed a third crew had run into difficulties when a sailor was flung overboard shortly after 3am, describing the night-time conditions as making it “tenfold more scary”.

The marine authority, AMSA, was dispatched after the location beacon was triggered, before the sailor was rescued by the original crew, having been swept about 1.2km away.

Superintendent McNulty said the Porco Rosso was 51 nautical miles off Eden, on the far south coast at the time, and that the AMSA had deployed a search and rescue plane.

People watching the Sydney to Hobart from Watsons Bay, Sydney. Picture: NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone

“It was dark so during the night, very challenging sea conditions to effect a rescue situation,” Superintendent McNulty said, noting police had also deployed their rescue craft.

“AMSA deploy their jet search and rescue to give us overhead coverage while we deployed Eden water police in their search and rescue craft to conduct the rescue for the male person.

Superintendent McNulty said the man was located “safe and well, cold but alive” by the yacht, and that police would stay on alert as the Sydney to Hobart race continued.

“It will be a challenging night in Bass Strait with some big seas coming and our ambulance and marine rescue keeping our waters safe,” he said

In a statement, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese mourned the death of the two crew members.

“We have sadly awoken to tragedy in the Sydney to Hobart with the awful news two sailors have lost their lives,” he said.

“Our thoughts are with the crews, their families and loved ones at this deeply sad time.”

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, which administers the race, said in a statement that the sailors who died were entrants on yachts Flying Fish Arctos and Bowline.

David Jacobs, Vice Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. Picture: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

“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.

“Our thoughts are with the crews, family and friends of the deceased.

“Further information will be provided as it becomes available.”

The Flying Fish Arctos was sailing approximately 30 nautical miles east/southeast of Ulladulla when the incident occurred, while the Bowline was approximately 30nm east/northeast of Batemans Bay.

The marine authority dispatched a plane and NSW Police a boat and helicopter before the sailor was rescued by the original crew, having been swept about 1.2km away.

Originally published as Sailors killed during Sydney to Hobart yacht race identified