It's sad news for the world of ocean racing and the nautical industries at the end of this summer, with the death of Hervé Laurent.

The incident occurred on Friday 30 August at 07:06.

The Centre Régional Opérationnel de Surveillance et de Sauvetage (CROSS) Etel was informed by the fishing boat Mathieu Camille III of the worrying presence of an empty RIB adrift near the Pointe du Spernec on the island of Groix (Morbihan). The console of the RIB had been ripped off.

The skipper and maritime expert's RIB was last seen leaving Groix at 10pm on Thursday evening.

CROSS-A Etel immediately launched a search and rescue operation using the following resources to locate the missing passenger:

• the Sécurité Civile Dragon 56 helicopter ;
• the semi-rigid of the Société Nationale des Sauveteurs en Mer (SNSM) SNS 147 ‘Notre Dame du Calme’ and SNS 252 - ‘L'Hermine’ from Locmiquelic;
• The Light Rescue Boat (BLS) of the Fire Brigade 29 and the Gendarmerie Maritime were also alerted.

The SNS 147 launch ‘Notre Dame du Calme’ and the Dragon 56 helicopter were tasked at 07:11, and began searching as soon as they arrived on the scene.

At 08:45 a lifeless body was discovered at Larmor-Plage by the Dragon 56, which winched its diver to the area.

The body of Hervé Laurent, aged 67 and resident on the Ile de Groix, was quickly identified as the owner of the RIB that had been reported.

The Gendarmerie Nationale's nautical brigade and the Gendarmerie Maritime's coastal surveillance launch were only able to confirm the death of the missing yachtsman before transporting him to Lorient. A Gendarmerie investigation is underway to determine the cause of death.