Pierre Agnes’s boat found washed up on beach near Biarritz, hours after he set sail

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

France’s coastguard launched a search operation for the chief executive of the surfwear brand Quiksilver on Tuesday after his sailing boat was found washed up on a beach on France’s Atlantic coast.

Pierre Agnes, 54, set sail early on Tuesday morning before sending a message to port authorities indicating that he was delaying his return because of thick fog. His boat was found near Hossegor, a famed surfing spot north of Biarritz.

Rescue services were unable to say if the Frenchman had been alone.



Three helicopters and two boats were searching for Agnes while agents scoured the coast. Rough seas were reported in the area, though wind was light and visibility was clear.

Quiksilver, an Australian surfwear company now based in the United States, recently changed its name to Boardriders, regrouping its other brands including DC Shoes and the Roxy clothing brand.

Agnes, who joined the company nearly 30 years ago, was long based at Quiksilver’s European headquarters in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, just south of Biarritz.

Earlier this month Boardriders said it was preparing to buy its Australian rival Billabong, creating a group that would have a combined 630 stores in 28 countries.

A US investment group, Oaktree Capital, controls Boardriders and already owns 19% of Billabong.