Quiksilver boss declared missing at sea - French local authority

France's coastguard on Tuesday launched a search operation for Pierre Agnes, the chief executive of surfwear company Boardriders, after his sailing boat was found on a beach on France's Atlantic coast, the local prefecture said.

Boardriders owns the Quicksilver brand.

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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.

Boardriders, which is 85-percent controlled by U.S. private equity firm Oaktree Capital, owns the Quicksilver, Roxy and DC Shoes brands. (Reporting by Claude Cannelas, writing by Michel Rose; editing by Richard Lough)