Jersey police are asking sailors to help in the search for a missing yacht, chartered from St Malo in August 1999.

The yacht, a Sun Odyssey 30, was chartered by a French general practitioner, Dr Yves Godard, who was accompanied by his daughter Camille and son Marius (aged six and four at the time). Dr Godard’s wife, Marie-France Legraverend, has not been seen or heard from since 31 August 1999. The subsequent discovery of her blood at the family home led to a massive police enquiry in France.

It is known that the little girl, Camille, is dead and her skull was found in waters off France in June 2000. The whereabouts or fate of the little boy, Marius, is unknown.

Reports show that the vessel was routinely stopped at sea by French customs on 2 September 1999. The next clue came on 23 September with the discovery of the yacht’s liferaft in Lyme Bay, on the UK’s South Coast. The unusual feature of this find was that the red canopy had been cut away from the liferaft.

Police believe the yacht spent time in the Channel Islands between 5 – 16 September 1999, after which they believe the yacht may have been sailed to Scotland.

Police want to hear from anybody who may have information on the movements or location of the yacht and Dr Godard, and from anybody who may have discovered the missing liferaft canopy.

The yacht was chartered from ‘Allet Location’ in St Malo. It is a Sun Odyssey 30, white hulled, originally named ‘Nick’ and it carried the serial number SN 883641 at the time of its disappearance.

Anybody with any further information can contact the states of Jersey Police on ( 44) 01534 612612, via crime stoppers. Or at Rouge Bouillon Police Station, Rouge Bouillon, St Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands or the Section De Recherches, 85 Bouleurd Cle’menceau, 3500 Rennes, France.