Champagne corks often pop and loud, boisterous cheers are usually heard around Constitution Dock when the Sydney to Hobart line honors winner finishes in the Tasmanian state capital.

Two crew members participating in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race in Australia are dead after separate accidents at sea, police announced late Thursday.

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