2 sailor deaths result in muted celebrations on winning yacht in Sydney to Hobart race

AP Sports Writer

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. There were no such celebrations on the yacht this year when defending champion LawConnect won the race in the early hours of Saturday morning, and with good reason:  It came about 24 hours after two sailors died on separate boats in boom accidents two hours apart on a storm-ravaged first night of the race. LawConnect, a 100-foot super maxi skippered by Australian tech millionaire Christian Beck, sailed up the River Derwent just after 2:30 a.m. local time Saturday to win this year’s race.