Sydney to Hobart organisers have promised a thorough investigation into the two deaths that rocked the 79th iteration of the yacht race.

But after the race’s first fatalities since 1998, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia insisted it is governed by “very specific” safety regulations.

Wild weather forecast for the NSW Coast and Bass Strait came to fruition on the first night of racing, forcing 17 boats to retire by 10am the following day.

One crew member aboard each of Flying Fish Arctos and Bowline was killed in strong winds, both fatally struck by the boom at the bottom of their mainsail.

But the race will continue, with CYCA vice-commodore David Jacobs saying the weather conditions were “not extreme” and did not merit cancelling the race in advance of Boxing Day.

Jacobs however felt it may be some time before race organisers knew whether anything could have been done to prevent the twin tragedies.

“Until there’s an investigation and we find out exactly what happened, it’s difficult to know,” he said.

“The club will do an investigation ... We’ll look at everything.

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

Since the first running of the race in 1945, non-professional sailors have been the backbone of the Sydney to Hobart, which offers no prize money to its winners.

But Jacobs said even if a boat’s crew members were not full-time sailors, each vessel underwent rigorous training before being permitted to sail in the race.

Half of a boat’s crew must have completed a category one race - the most difficult class of long-distance, off-shore race that includes the Hobart, the Sydney Noumea and the Melbourne Osaka.

Additionally, half the crew must undergo a sea survival course, with each boat undergoing a safety audit before departure.

Some crews choose to set higher safety standards on board their vessels and require each sailor to have undergone these courses.

“There are very specific safety requirements that we have,” Jacobs said.

The Hobart made significant changes to its safety protocols after a NSW coronial inquest into the 1998 race, during which six people died amid storms.

In total, the coroner made 14 formal recommendations.

Today, each sailor is required to have an emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB), usually fitted to their life jacket, as well as a life-line to strap onto the vessel.

Personal torches are also mandatory, while the Bureau of Meteorology now provides more detail in its compulsory briefings to the fleet on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day.

This year’s race is the first without radio relay vessels keeping pace with the fleet, but the majority of boats are now fitted out with on-board internet service Starlink to maintain communications with land.

Each yacht must also carry a satellite phone.

Jacobs described the latest deaths as tragic and expected the surviving crew members aboard Flying Fish Arctos and Bowline to have been shaken.

“On a boat itself, they train together, they live together, they cook together, they do everything together. It would be be devastating, as we are devastated,” he said.

Prime minister Anthony Albanese released a statement on Friday morning.

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

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