Organizers said Friday that two Sydney to Hobart sailors have died at sea amid wild weather conditions that forced line honors favorite Master Lock Comanche to withdraw among mass retirements.

Two sailors on separate boats have died in boom accidents two hours apart on a storm-ravaged first night of the annual Sydney to Hobart race, adding to the event's long history of deaths at sea. The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Sydney,

The men were hit in the head by booms on their yachts in separate episodes, as participants faced challenging weather conditions, the police said.