One dead, one missing after French boat crash

One person died and another was missing feared dead after a British-flagged luxury yacht and a sailing boat collided off the French Riviera, the coastguard said today.

The 109-ft motorised yacht collided with the sailing vessel on Saturday afternoon, a mile off Cap Dramont, near the exclusive seaside resort of Saint-Raphael, the officials said.

The impact ejected a woman from the sailing boat, killing her instantly.

A helicopter and two coastguard vessels were searching seas off Saint-Raphael today for a man who was also aboard the sail boat, which sank after the collision.

The coastguard refused to immediately release the names or nationalities of the woman or the man.

Maritime police intercepted the yacht and questioned the crew throughout the night, officials said.