Australian police said that two people participating in Australia's annual yacht race from Sydney to Hobart were killed in two separate accidents.
Both crew members died in separate incidents after colliding with a large pole attached horizontally to the bottom of the sail.
Rolex, which organizes the race, said the incidents occurred on board the Flying Fish Arctos and Bowline aircraft.
The first boats are expected to arrive in Hobart, Tasmania, later Friday or early Saturday. Many of them have already retired due to bad weather.
New South Wales (NSW) Police said the first incident was reported to officers before midnight on Thursday local time (12:50 GMT) by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority in the country's capital, Canberra.
Just over two hours later, at 02:15 on Friday, NSW Police were informed that the crew on the second boat were performing CPR on the second person, which was also unsuccessful.
Organizers said the Flying Fish Arctos was sailing about 30 nautical miles east/southeast of the New South Wales town of Ulladulla.
Meanwhile, Bolin was about 30 nautical miles east/northeast of the town of Batemans Bay, also in New South Wales.
“Our thoughts are with the crew members, family and friends of the deceased,” the Australian Cruising Yacht Club said in a statement.
The race, which began on Thursday, continued.
This is not the first time that deaths have occurred during the race, which was first held in 1945.
Six people, including British Olympic yachtsman Glen Charles, died in 1998 after competitors were struck by severe storms.
