The Polish skipper, alone on board, was not injured in the collision. A technical investigation has been opened.
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A 10-meter-long sailboat was struck by the aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle Friday November 12 in the south-east of the Hyères islands in the Var, reports France Bleu Provence. The collision with the 40,000-ton juggernaut took place around 7:30 am Friday morning. According to the Maritime Prefecture of the Mediterranean, the aircraft carrier has “detected late” the Polish-flagged vessel, and the collision could not be avoided “despite an emergency maneuver to avoid this sailboat.”
[#CommuniquéDePresse] Collision between the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and a sailboat off the approaches to Toulon
Read the CP https://t.co/7ht9zMkSqW pic.twitter.com/PAHSr38diG
– Maritime Prefecture of the Mediterranean (@Premarmed) November 12, 2021
The Polish skipper, alone on board, was not injured. The hull of the sailboat has no damage, on the other hand its mast has fallen.
The maritime prefecture of the Mediterranean states that “two boats from Charles-de-Gaulle were used to secure the sailboat and prepare for towing, in difficult weather conditions. ” The tugboat VN Rebel was diverted by the Toulon Mediterranean operations center to organize the towing of the sailboat to the port of Hyères, where it should arrive around 6 p.m.
The maritime prefecture ensures that a technical investigation is now open, but without calling into question the training activity of the aircraft carrier.