A strong storm and maritime movements with waves of more than three meters They ruined the party that had started in the last regatta of the yearbased in Australia and Tasmania. The fact left at least two dead and several injured.
It was about the 79th edition of the regatta that connects the ports of Sydney with Hobart, a traditional event of the discipline that It has been done since 1945and has a route of 1,163 kilometers . It is the last one on the world calendar before a new year.
For this reason, close to 400,000 people approached the port and hundreds of boats accompanied the vessels offering a striking spectacle. But what began as a nautical festival in oceanic waters suddenly turned into a tragedy.
The meteorological reports already warned of a “aggressive storm front” but no one imagined the outcome of the events. Thus, in the early hours of Australian Friday the death of two of the sailors was confirmed, in both cases after be hit by the boomsnear the coast of New South Wales.
The boom is a long horizontal pole at the base of the sail. Goes attached to the mast, serves to support and guide the mainsail, and can rotate quickly around the mast if strong gusts occur.
The identities of the victims are not yet known, but they indicate that they were on board the Flying Fish Arctos (NSW) and Bowline (SA) respectively. They had no connection with each otherbecause the accidents occurred at 55 kilometers to southeast of Ulladulla and the same distance northeast of Batemans Bay.
They also reported that the deceased They underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation work (CPR), but they were unsuccessful and the news was reported to police officers. Marine Area Command.
However, the two deaths were not the only incidents that occurred during the night, as a crew member aboard the Porco Rosso was washed overboardbut he was rescued by his companions. The yacht was forced to withdraw.
The statement from the authorities
The Race Committee stated in a statement: “Flying Fish Arctos was sailing approximately at 30 nautical miles (55.5 kilometers) east-southeast of Ulladulla when the incident occurred.”
“Crew members performed CPRbut they could not revive their crewmate,” he later stated.
“Bowlin was approximately 30 nautical miles east-northeast of Batemans Bay when the crew members were hit,” he expanded for information.
Then the statement stated: “As These incidents are being dealt with by the water police and not all family members have yet been contacted, we are unable to provide further details at this stage.”
“Our thoughts are with the crews, family and friends of the deceased. He Nemesis police ship was escorting the Bowline to Batemans Bay and It was estimated that it would arrive at 7 hours Friday morning,” he said.
The tragic antecedents
These deaths occur 26 years after six sailors also died due to intense storms during the 1998 edition of the regatta. This led to a state investigation and major reforms to safety protocols.
At that time, during the race, various yachts were destroyed and more than 55 people in danger were rescued. That was the worst disaster of the race since it began in 1945.
These last episodes also led to the abandonment of many of the participants for not being able to face the weather conditions they encountered.
Source: Ambito
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