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Double tragedy struck the Sydney to Hobart yacht race on Friday as two sailors were killed in separate incidents, organisers and local authorities said.
The Race Committee were advised both crew members died after they were hit by the boom, the race organisers said in a statement released on their website.
The local New South Wales police said they were informed just before midnight that a crew member of one Sydney to Hobart entry was struck by a sail boom. Fellow crew members performed CPR, but they could not be revived.
A couple of hours later a crew member on another vessel was reported to have also been struck by a sail boom, and died.
Race organisers identified Flying Fish Arctos and Bowline as the boats where the incidents occurred.
The names of the crew members who died have not been released yet. The race organisers have scheduled a press conference later in the morning.
Bad weather has forced several boats to retire from the 79th running of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, which began on Thursday, leaving LawConnect as the new race leader in the South Pacific.
LawConnect, which won line honours last year in a thrilling finish by just 51 seconds, was first past the turning mark after cannons sounded yesterday afternoon.
However, it soon ran into sail issues, giving race record holder Master Lock Comanche an unexpected advantage.
But having set record-breaking pace, Master Lock Comanche retired in the early hours of Friday due to mainsail damage approximately 63 nautical miles of Green Cape - one among seven retirements from the race from the initial fleet of 104.
Wild Thing 100, another supermaxi, almost capsized after making a late tack to avoid the smaller Celestial V70.
Covering approximately 630 nautical miles of the Tasman Sea and notoriously treacherous Bass Strait, the gruelling annual race is Australia's premier yachting event.
Forecasts were for a fast start in north-easterly winds of up to 20 knots before a trough strikes in the early hours of Friday, bringing strong-to-gale-force, south-westerly winds.
The friendly weather conditions could bring the race record - set by LDV Comanche in 2017 - of one day, nine hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds in sight.
Sailors will be keen to avoid inclement weather when they cross the Bass Strait as they head across from the mainland towards the island state of Tasmania.
Five yachts were sunk and six sailors killed when a major storm hit the fleet during the 1998 race.