On 26 September 2013, an Airbus A321 approaching Deauville in day VMC was advised that only a GNSS instrument approach - for which the crew were not approved - was available for the active runway. During the subsequent visual approach, the crew lost sight of the runway whilst over the sea and descended to almost the same height as the land ahead, eventually triggering an EGPWS ‘PULL UP Warning. The approach was subsequently abandoned after an EGPWS ‘SINK RATE Alert on short finals and non-standard positioning to the opposite runway direction, followed by a landing in the originally expected direction.