Sydney to Hobart: West Australian Roy Quaden, South Australian Nick Smith, identified as sailors killed

Tributes have flowed after two experienced sailors were identified as the victims of fatal head injuries in the horrific first night of the Sydney to Hobart race.

Roy Quaden, a 55-year-old Western Australian man working as the navigator onboard Flying Fish Arctos, and Nick Smith, a 65-year-old crew member onboard the Bowline, has been identified as the two who lost their lives.

Speaking to media on Friday afternoon, police said Mr Quaden and Mr Smith sustained head injuries on separate vessels in incidents just hours apart while racing in the dangerous conditions.

Mr Quaden was hit in the head by the boom onboard the Flying Fish Arctos.

A sail boom is a long pole that extends horizontally from the bottom of the yacht’s mast. It is attached to the bottom of the sail and can swing quickly to allow crews to control the sail’s shape and angle in response to winds.

“Just before midnight last night, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority receive the first mayday call from a vessel Flying Fish Arctos, who requested urgent assistance is one of the crew members had been struck in the back of the head by a boom.,” Superintendent Joseph McNulty said on Friday, speaking about Mr Quaden.

It is understood the incident occurred when the crew were attempting to change the sail.

“(The boom) was moving violently through the night in challenging sea conditions and the crew member suffered a significant head injury.”

Despite efforts to save Mr Quaden, he died at sea.

A second person onboard Flying Fish Arctos was injured by an impact, which dislocated their shoulder.

The vessel was escorted by water police to Jarvis Bay, where Mr Quaden was officially confirmed deceased.

Mr Quadren was the first person to die in the iconic race since 1998, when six sailors died and more than 50 were saved by helicopter.

Tragically, despite Mr Quaden being the first death in 26 years, a second death occurred hours later.

“The second incident occurred at 2.30am with another vessel. The vessel is called Bowline,” Superintendent McNulty said.

“It had suffered similar incident to the first vessel, where a crew member had again suffered a head injury,” Superintendent McNulty said about South Australian Mr Smith.

Although originally thought to be an impact by the boom, Cruising Yacht Club of Australia vice Commodore David Jacobs said later on Friday that Mr Smith had been hit by a mainsheet.

“We thought he had been hit by the boom but we have now learned that wasn’t the case,’’ Mr Jacobs told the Daily Telegraph.

“He was hit by the mainsheet and it threw him across the boat and unfortunately he hit his head on the winch and that’s what killed him.’’

Superintendent McNulty praised crews for their “substantial job” in delivering CPR, as they desperately attempted to save the life of their teammate, before he was confirmed dead.

On Friday, Mr Quaden’s employer INPEX shared a statement on the Western Australian’s death.

“We are deeply saddened to hear of the loss of our valued colleague Roy,” Senior Vice President Corporate, Bill Townsend told The Nightly.

“Our thoughts and condolences are with his family, friends and colleagues at this very sad time.”

Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron General Manager Hayley Hunt described Mr Smith as “an experienced crew member” adding it was his fifth Sydney to Hobart Race in a statement shared on Friday.

“On behalf of the Commodore, Flag Officer, management committee, members and staff we extend our condolences to Nick’s family, friends and the crew of Bowline at this tragic time,” Ms Hunt said.

“We express our sympathy to Bowline Skipper — Immediate Past Commodore Ian Roberts and further extend our sympathy to Flying Fish Arctos and their crew.

Police revealed a third person involved in a near-miss after a sailor was swept overboard in “terrifying” circumstances.

A sailor onboard Poco Russo fell overboard in the rough conditions, with an urgent search being launched.

“Australian Maritime Safety Authority deploy their jet search and rescue to give us overhead coverage while we deployed Eden Water Police in their search and rescue craft to conduct the rescue for the male person,” Superintendent McNulty said.

“The yachts got together, conducted their own search and rescue, locating the person safe and well, cold but alive.”

Organisers of the iconic blue water classic have promised to carry out a full investigation into the deaths of two sailors who were struck by a sail boom.

In an update on Friday morning, Cruising Yacht Club of Australia vice Commodore David Jacobs said the club would carry out an investigation into the deaths.

“We always want to improve safety wherever we can, so we will do an investigation and if there is something that boats can do to prevent this happening we will implement it,” he told reporters.

Mr Jacobs said the club had “no other information as to how that came about and what the circumstances were”.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has extended his condolences to the crews, families and loved ones who knew the late sailors.

“We have sadly awoken to tragedy in the Sydney to Hobart with the awful news two sailors have lost their lives,” Mr Albanese said in a statement.

“Our thoughts are with the crews, their families and loved ones at this deeply sad time.”

Mr Jacobs also commented on the rescue of the Poco Russo crew member who was “swept overboard”.

“That is one of the most terrifying experiences that you can have,” Mr Jacobs said.

Mr Jacobs said the sailor was washed “about 1.2 kilometres away from their boat”, and were retrieved by the Poco Russo crew “healthy and well”.

Mr Jacobs shirked one reporter’s assertions the race was forecast to see “boat-breaking weather”, and said the Bureau of Meteorology provided briefings before the race and at launch day on conditions that were not “extreme”.

“The forecast (from the Bureau) was strong winds to gale-force winds. These fleets can handle those winds easily,” he said.

“They are ocean racers, they are used to the winds and they are not extreme questions.”

The Bureau of Meteorology had a strong wind warning in place overnight, with wind speeds expected around 25–30 knots between Sydney and Ulladulla and waves about 2–3 metres high in some areas.

Sixteen boats had retired from the event by 9am on Friday, including race favourite Master Lock Comanche, which has pulled out due to main sail damage.

In 1998, wild conditions struck the 115-strong fleet off the coast of south-eastern Australia, caused by an unusually intense low pressure system that built into a storm with winds in excess of 65 knots — winds equivalent to category two cyclone strength.

Five boats sank in the storm, seven were abandoned, and 71 retired from the fleet. The rescue efforts involved aircraft, 27 Australian Navy vessels and was the largest-ever peacetime search and rescue effort ever seen in Australia.

The tragedy triggered a NSW coronial inquest and mass reforms to the safety protocols that govern the race.