The crew members died in separate incidents after being hit by their vessel’s boom
The yacht Bowline competing at the start of the annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race on Boxing Day in Sydney Harbour in which two sailors have been killed in separate incidents The crew members both died after being hit by their vessel’s boom, the large horizontal pole at the bottom of the sail.New South Wales state police said they were told just before midnight that a crew member of one Sydney to Hobart entry was struck by a sail boom.
A couple of hours later Roy Quaden, 55, a crew member on the Flying Fish Arctos was also fatally struck by a sail boom and died. “It was moving violently through the night with challenging sea conditions, and a crew member suffered a significant head injury,” Supt Joseph McNulty told reporters.“The sailing community is a very close community, and there’s about a thousand sailors on the water in this race and to lose two in this fashion is just devastating,” said David Jacobs, vice commodore at Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.
“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 it.”The race was first held in 1945, with the last loss of life coming in 1998 when six people, including British Olympic yachtsman Glyn Charles, died during storms.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Indonesians mark two decades since Boxing Day tsunamiThe northern side of Sumatra bore the brunt of the disaster with more than half of the total death toll reported.
Read more »
McDonald's Opening Hours on Christmas Day and Boxing DayFind out if your local McDonald's is open on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, as well as information about their opening hours over the holiday period.
Read more »
Royal Boxing Day Tradition: A Day of Shooting at SandringhamEvery Boxing Day, senior members of the British Royal Family engage in a long-standing tradition of shooting on the Sandringham estate. The day begins with a hearty breakfast for the men, followed by a hunt for pheasants and grouse across the 20,000-acre property.
Read more »
Christmas Day weather forecast for Manchester according to Met Office and moreWhat the forecasters say for the weather on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day
Read more »
Olympic boxing: World Boxing reaches 60 membersWorld Boxing, a breakaway international federation hoping to secure recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) reaches 60 members.
Read more »
John Lewis Trafford Centre to Open for Boxing Day SalesJohn Lewis will open on Boxing Day at just two of its stores nationwide this year, with the Trafford Centre being one of them. This year will see the return of Boxing Day sales at John Lewis at the Trafford Centre, and also at its store in Stratford, London. The Trafford Centre will be opening at 8am on Boxing Day, and remains open until 8pm.
Read more »