From ‘apprehensive’ to devastated: Sydney Hobart crews mourn lost mates

Two experienced sailors have been identified after they tragically died in similar circumstances during the 2024 edition of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

Bowline crew members, from left, Melanie Bushby, Banjo Greaves, Nick Smith, who died at sea, Troy Moler and Paul Senior before the race. Picture: Summer Liu

Nine sailors walked onto the yacht Bowline for the start of the Sydney Hobart on Boxing Day, full of nervous anticipation about the challenge ahead.

Only eight stepped off on ­Friday, their adventure tragically cut short when experienced crewmate Nick Smith, 65, was thrown against a winch in horrid conditions, suffered catastrophic injuries and died.

An almost identical ­disaster took place on Flying Fish Arctos, where a flailing boom struck and killed Roy Quaden, 55, from Western Australia, one of a dozen people onboard.

Smith and four other members of Bowline had spoken to The Australian and happily posed for photographs on Christmas Day.

Between them, they talked about their abiding love for sailing and the ocean, and their mixed feelings of excitement and fear of being at the mercy of nature.

“Apprehensive,” one replied, when the group was asked how they were feeling about the journey ahead.

Nick Smith, 65, tragically died when he was struck in the back of the head by the boom.

Roy Quaden who was killed in the Sydney Hobart race.

Bowline crew member Melanie Bushby said in the interview that, during their 2000km journey just to get to Sydney for the race, and in prior events, they had experienced a full mix of the ocean’s wonders and conditions.

“You’re sailing and all of a sudden hundreds of dolphins come towards you, and the sunsets you get to see, and you get to share those special moments with, just in our case, eight other people,” she said.

“And that’s kind of a special moment. And on the other side, you might have a really hairy part of the race, where it’s really windy, and we’re all busy, and it’s frantic. It’s something that as a crew you share as a very special time.”

The twin tragedies in the middle of the race’s opening night marked the first Sydney Hobart deaths since the 1998 disaster, when six people died, five boats sank and 55 sailors were rescued in severe storms.

A safety review will be carried out but the race was cleared to continue, with organisers defending the decision to give competitors the green light to go out in treacherous conditions. By Friday afternoon, that rough weather had torn through the fleet, reducing the field of competitors to 82 from 104 starters.

But it was the fatalities that cast a pall over the race in its 79th year. Cruising Yacht Club Australia Vice Commodore David Jacobs insisted conditions had not been too dangerous in a sport where competitors know that no amount of preparation, training and experience can eliminate all risk.

“The forecast was strong winds to gale-force winds. These fleets can handle those things. They’re ocean races. They’re used to those winds. It was not extreme conditions,” Jacobs said.

He added: “Everyone’s devastated. It’s a terrible tragedy. We always want to improve safety wherever we can, so we will do an investigation. And if there’s something that boats can do to try and prevent this happening, we will implement that.”

Anthony Albanese led the nation’s tributes to the two sailors, saying that the race in which they died was “an Australian tradition, and it is heartbreaking that two lives have been lost at what should be a time of joy”.

There was almost a third death, when experienced crew member Luke Watkins from the yacht Porco Rosso was swept overboard in the dark about 40 nautical miles off the NSW coast. Watkins, 37, had to unhook from his lifeline to survive and drifted 4km away before his yacht miraculously rescued him 45 minutes later, thanks to his personal locator beacon, light-up safety jacket and the skill of his crewmates.

“I’ve got a young family at home and that’s what kept me going,” the relieved sailor said ­afterwards. “I am very lucky to have been able to get back onboard, and it’s a testament to the guys and their professionalism.”

Vice Commodore Jacobs said of the rescue: “That is one of the most terrifying experiences that you can have. This was at 3.14am so it was at night which makes it tenfold more scary.”

All the crew members are said to be in the process of interviews.

Flying Fish Arctos was about 30 nautical miles east-southeast of Ulladulla when the first fatal incident occurred about midnight.

Bowline was about 30 nautical miles east-northeast of Batemans Bay when Smith was propelled into the winch about 2.30am.

Adelaide barrister Ian Roberts, Bowline’s owner and skipper, issued a joint statement with his crew, mourning the loss of a “great friend” and experienced yachtsman. “In very difficult sailing ­conditions, crew member Nick Smith was hit by the mainsheet (a line attached to the boom) in a gybe that threw him against a winch. Despite immediate CPR administered by the crew, Nick was unable to be resuscitated,” the statement read.

“Nick was a very valued crew member and a very experienced sailor, having completed four previous Sydney Hobarts, numerous yacht deliveries and the around the world Clipper Race. He was also a regular competitor in the Hamilton Island Sailing Regatta.

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

Crew members are brought to Batemans Bay. Picture: Alex Coppel

Smith was in his fifth Sydney Hobart. In The Australian’s pre-race interview onboard Bowline, Bushby, who was in the race for the fourth time, said she kept returning despite all its hardships.

“As a mum, it’s like having a baby – you think halfway through it, ‘This is ridiculous, what am I doing?’ You feel all the emotions and then you step off the dock in Hobart and feel this euphoria,” she said.

“You just think that was amazing, of course I would do it again. It just blocks out any of the fear and any other emotions you felt throughout the race. The camaraderie is incredible; the achievement is unbelievable.”

An injured crew member is loaded into an ambulance in Batemans Bay. Picture: Alex Coppel

The crew had been planning to head to another regatta in Melbourne before returning to Adelaide. Instead, Bowline crew members were seen solemnly departing the yacht after they arrived in Batemans Bay on Friday.

Flying Fish Arctos docked in Jervis Bay. Mr Quaden travelled from WA to join the crew from NSW as its navigator and suffered a head injury, police said.

The Weekend Australian has been told by a person familiar with his plan he had been preparing for the race for about 12 months.

Superintendent McNulty said police were still trying to locate the next of kin of the second victim.

His LinkedIn account states he was a senior drilling engineer from Amsterdam who worked in Western Australia for about six years and was most recently based in Indonesia for Impex.

Bill Townsend, vice-president corporate of Inpex, where Mr Quaden worked, said: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the loss of our valued colleague Roy. Our thoughts and condolences are with his family, friends and colleagues at this very sad time.”

NSW Police superintendent Joseph McNulty said investigators were on both vessels, and all crew members were being interviewed. Briefs of evidence would be prepared for the coroner. “We believe at this stage of the early investigation that these vessels may have been changing sails at the time, so they weren’t actually sailing with the wind, so that creates a different set of circumstances,” he said.

The retired super yacht Bowline in Batemans Bay. Picture: Alex Coppel

The trail of destruction in this year’s race included mainsail damage to pre-race favourite Master Lock Comanche, as well as Calibre 12 and Centennial 7; engine issues (Alive, The Shepherd Centre), and crew injury (Quetzalcoatl, Lord Jiminy). There was also a broken boom (Bacchanal), steering issues (Ciao Bella), electrical issues (Georgia Express, Verite), broken equipment (Mayfair, Rum ­Rebellion), dismasting (Philosopher, Transcendence, URM Group), foil damage (Zeus, Pretty Woman), and rigging damage (Wild Oats).

Additional reporting: Paige Taylor