Two sailors have been killed in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race when they were fatally struck by sail booms during a night of rough weather

The men's bodies returned to shore this morning after they died aboard Flying Fish Arctos and Bowline as the famous race had its first fatalities in more than 25 years.

Another man injured his shoulder and was taken to paramedics in Batemans Bay.

Both yachts have retired from the race - two of the 17 that had pulled out by earlier today - after particylarly strong winds along the southern NSW coast and Bass Strait.