On May 2, a race boat in the 24 Hours of Rouen crashed into one of two safety boats escorting a commercial vessel up the River Seine approximately 90 miles from Paris. A French police officer on one of the safety boats was killed, and the race was canceled.

But is this annual epic endurance race among outboard-powered tunnel boats done for good?

“I don’t know if it is permanently canceled or not,” said Fred Kiekhaefer, president of Mercury Racing, who I got to know when I covered the race in 1999.

Translated from French to English, the text below from a press release titled “The Race is Permanently Discontinued” on the 24 Hours of Rouen website, does little to shed light on the future of the event:

“Around 6:20 a.m., a merchant ship was sailing up the river. He was escorted by three safety boats on the front, as is the procedure adopted in accordance with the highest authorities.

“A racing boat collided with a safety boat and two gendarmes of the Fluvial Brigade empowered to accomplish this mission.

“Relief responded immediately, but unfortunately, the doctor could only note the death of one of two gendarmes and injury of the second, whose life is not in danger.

“Consternation reigns on the site, the race is stopped and will not resume today.”

E-mails to officials of the 24 Hours of Rouen for clarification have not, as of yet, been returned.

Though the race has always been somewhat dangerous, it reportedly has claimed just three lives during its 40-plus-year history. As it happens, one of those deaths was during the 1999 event—which as previously noted I covered—when the boats driven by American Bob Wartinger and Francis Mare of France collided in the middle of the night. Mare was killed.

Powerboat will continue to follow this story and will bring you news on the future of the 24 Hours of Rouen as we gather it.—Matt Trulio

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