SYDNEY: Two yacht crew members are dead, three yachts remain missing and rescue resources were stretched to the limit today as huge seas and gale-force winds continued to batter the Sydney-to-Hobart race fleet.

A helicopter rescue team flew to a spot about 50 nautical miles off the far South New South Wales town of Merimbula today early morning Two crew found dead on the stricken 40-foot vessel business post naiad were left behind while seven colleagues were winched aboard the helicopter and flown to Merimbula hospital, he said.

The deaths were confirmed by an Australian search and rescue coordination center spokesman in Canberra a short time later. Neither organization was able to say how the sailors died or give details on the injuries suffered by surviving crewmen.

Three yachts remain missing and there was no sign of a sailor swept off the sword of orion when the boat rolled in wild seas on yesterday night. The missing boats are veteran cutterWinston Churchill, which sailed in the inaugural 1945 race, B-52 and solo globe challenger.