French coastguards are searching for the chief executive of a leading surfwear company after his boat was discovered washed ashore on a beach in the country's south-west.

Pierre Agnes, CEO of Boardriders, Quiksilver's parent company, set sail early on Tuesday but did not return.

After the 54-year-old's boat was discovered run aground in Hossegor, a surfing resort town in Biarritz, French authorities soon deployed two vessels and three helicopters to search for Agnes on Tuesday, according to local reports.

Rescuers then suspended the search on Tuesday evening, with the search operation due to restart on Wednesday morning.