Crew members aboard a Milwaukee Yacht Club sailboat rescued six members of another boat that capsized late Sunday during a severe thunderstorm on Lake Michigan, a U.S. Coast Guard officer said.

Two other sailors aboard WingNuts, a boat competing in the annual Race to Mackinac, were killed when their boat capsized about 13 nautical miles northwest of Charlevoix, Mich., and 10 miles east of South Fox Island in Lake Michigan.

The U.S. Coast Guard was notified at 11:40 p.m. Central time Sunday night via radio that crew members of Sociable, which sails out of Milwaukee and also was competing in the race, came to the rescue of WingNuts.

Ed Purcell, commodore of the Milwaukee Yacht Club, said the owner-skipper of the 39-foot Sociable is Robert Arzbaecher, chairman, president and CEO of Actuant Corp., an industrial company based in Menomonee Falls. Purcell said Arzbaecher, of Brookfield, was listed as a crew member for the race.

Crew members could not be reached for comment, including Arzbaecher. His wife, Amy, said Monday night that the crew was worn out.

"The whole boat, that's what they are trained to do," she said. "It could have been worse. But they were just doing what they hope someone might do for them."

According to the Chicago Yacht Club, the sponsor of the race, five sailors were pulled from the water on arrival to the scene and another sailor later was rescued. The Coast Guard confirmed that members of the Sociable pulled the sailors from the water.

"Absolutely, the Sociable saved their lives," said Lt. Adam Saurin, a Coast Guard public affairs officer based in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

Capt. Joe McGuiness, sector commander of the U.S. Coast Guard in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., and Saurin said crew members aboard the Sociable acted heroically.

"They were not the first ones to cross the finish line, but they were the first ones to cross our finish line," McGuiness said.

"They were in the area and pulled six people out of the water," Saurin said. "They directed other boats to search in different locations. They also coordinated vessel traffic until we got there. It was the middle of the night and it was an emotionally charged case for everyone. They were awesome."

Rachelle Treiber, a spokeswoman for the Chicago Yacht Club, said "everyone is really proud of the crew members of the Sociable."

The Sociable was unable to finish the race. A total of 10 Milwaukee Yacht Club boats were in the race, according to Purcell, and all of the Milwaukee sailboats have been accounted for.

The two lost sailors were identified by the Chicago Yacht Club and the Coast Guard as skipper Mark Morley, 51, a veteran sailor, and Suzanne Bickel, 41, both from Saginaw, Mich. The rescued sailors were identified as Christopher Cummings, 16; John Dent, 50; Stan Dent, 51; Peter Morley, 47; Stewart Morley, 15; and Lee Purcell, 46. All of those rescued were believed to be from Michigan.

In a statement posted on Facebook by surviving members of the WingNuts, the crew said they knew the storm was coming, dropped the main sail and clipped into their safety lines. Reports say the marine warning went out an hour before the storm hit the boats.

"During the storm, a 60-knot gust of wind capsized the boat. Those who were able to cut or unclip their safety lines were able to cling to the overturned hull and signal for help. Two crew members, Mark B. Morley, 51 and Suzanne Bickel, 41 were unable to free themselves.

"A nearby vessel, the Sociable from Milwaukee, WI, saw the strobes and heard the emergency whistles through the storm, and rescued six of the eight crew members. The WingNuts crew is indebted to the crew of the Sociable and are heartbroken over the loss of their crew members, Mark and Suzanne."