Nick Smith remembered as “great friend” and “valued crew member” following Sydney Hobart tragedy

Premier Peter Malinauskas and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have paid tribute to the SA sailor who died in the Sydney to Hobart tragedy.

A leading South Australian sailor has been remembered as a “much loved” yachtsman after he was one of two men killed in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race – its first deaths in a quarter of century.

Adelaide-based Nick Smith, 65, was thrown into the Bowline yacht’s winch just before 3am on Friday amid treacherous conditions, 30 nautical miles off the NSW coast, 233km south of Sydney.

(L-R) Melanie Bushby, Banjo Greaves, Nick Smith, Troy Moler and Paul Senior on Bowline. PIC: Summer Liu

Despite frantic efforts from his eight distraught crew members, he died on board.

He suffered catastrophic head injuries three hours after 55-year-old West Australian sailor Roy Quaden died in similar circumstances aboard Flying Fox Arctos.

As police coronial investigations were launched into the first race deaths in 26 years, the Prime Minister, Premier, friends and colleagues on Friday night paid tribute to Mr Smith, who was a “very fine and experienced yachtsman” competing in his fifth Sydney to Hobart.

Mr Smith, a member of the Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron for the past 11 years, was among the state’s most experienced sailors.

Friends said he loved being on the water and had successfully sailed in yachting events worldwide.

Bowline entrants in the Sydney Hobart yacht race in Adelaide on Saturday, November 27, 2021. The Advertiser/ Morgan Sette.

Passing on the nation’s “deepest condolences”, Anthony Albanese said: “My thoughts are with the family, friends and loved ones of Nick Smith at this terribly difficult time.

“Nick was clearly much loved and will be forever missed.”

He said it was “heartbreaking” to have two deaths during an “Australian tradition” and “what should be a time of joy”.

Peter Malinauskas also expressed the state’s sorrow.

“I know many South Australians will mourn the passing of Mr Smith, an avid and experienced sailor, who died doing what he loved,” he said.

“My thoughts are with his family … friends and his crew mates, at this difficult time.”

Another friend remembered their “happy-go-lucky mate”.

“Sail on forever Nick, RIP,” they wrote online.

Prominent Adelaide barrister Ian Roberts, a former RSAYS commodore who bought Bowline in March 2021 - using the same name as his CBD legal chambers - paid tribute to his “great friend” and “valued crew member”.

“We lost a great friend and a very fine and experienced yachtsman in an accident aboard Bowline,” he said as his rescued crew recovered on the NSW south coast.

“In very difficult sailing conditions … Nick Smith was hit by main sheet in a gybe that threw him against a winch.

Nick Smith, 65, (pictured) is one of the two sailors who passed away in the Sydney to Hobart

“Despite immediate CPR administered by the crew, Nick was unable to be resuscitated.” Mr Roberts said the loss hurt more after sharing many travels with his friend.

“Having completed four previous Sydney-Hobarts, numerous yacht deliveries and the around the world Clipper Race Yacht race … he was also a regular competitor in the Hamilton Island Sailing Regatta,” he said.

“Having sailed many thousand miles with Nick, the skipper and crew of Bowline are devastated with this loss.”

Before the race, Mr Roberts, the squadron’s immediate past commodore, spoke in Sydney about his high hopes despite the dire weather forecast after the crew had sailed more than 2000km from Adelaide.

“I think a lot of the forecasts for big conditions are for the big boats,” he said.

“If we keep coming along as we think we will, probably, we’ll be OK.”

Video taken before the race showed Mr Smith and the crew performing gybes and tactical manoeuvres that bear a strong similarity to the manoeuvre that claimed his life.

The squadron’s rear commodore, Owen Haskett, described Mr Smith as a down-to-earth and dedicated man.

Speaking at the Outer Harbor club on Friday, he said: “Nick was a regular crew on Bowline … Nick’s done offshore racing, he did the Haystack qualifier, he’s done at least one leg of the Clipper ocean racing, so he’s an experienced ocean racer.

“I’ve had the pleasure of racing with Nick previously on other vessels, and he was a great, down-to-earth sailor, a very experienced offshore sailor. Everyone’s excited for a Sydney to Hobart, it’s … the premier Australian yacht race.

“Anyone who does any significant amount of offshore racing aspires to do it. So they (the Bowline crew) would have been very excited to get out there and amongst it.”

Mr Haskett said the squadron was rallying around the “devastated” crew.

Crewman Paul Senior suffered a shoulder injury and was taken to a local NSW hospital while Peter Hutchison, Reid Bosward, Melanie Bushby, Paul “Banjo” Greaves, Troy Mohler and Anthony Pennington were uninjured.

The squadron will now offer counselling to deal with the “tragic” accident, said General Manager Hayley Hunt.

“The squadron will endeavour to provide counselling to the Bowline crew and any squadron members in this difficult time,” she said.

After the accident, Bowline, one of four competing SA yachts, retired from the race in Batemans Bay.

Audacious, Clockwork, and the double-handed entry Inukshuk are still racing.

Mr Smith’s death was initially blamed from hitting his head on the yacht’s boom.

Speaking in Hobart late on Friday, race organiser Cruising Yacht Club of Australia vice-commodore, David Jacobs, said Mr Smith was struck by the main sheet, a rope connected to the boom, when it “whipped” across the deck during a gybe.

“The main sheet threw him across the boat, and unfortunately he hit his head on the winch and that’s what killed him,” he said.

The yachtsmen are the first deaths in the Sydney to Hobart in 26 years, following the disastrous 1998 race, during which six sailors died and five yachts sank in Bass Strait.

The squadron, which was founded in 1869, is one of Australia’s premier yacht clubs.

Originally published as Nick Smith remembered as “great friend” and “valued crew member” following Sydney Hobart tragedy