British sailors released by Iran land in Dubai

Five British sailors who were detained last week after their racing yacht accidentally drifted into Iranian waters, have been released, and arrived in Dubai on Wednesday.

“We had no intention of upsetting anyone,” one of the sailors, Oliver Smith told reporters in Dubai. “We were just trying to get here (to Dubai) to start the yacht race,” he said.

“The guys on the ground there treated us very well,” he added.

Their yacht was on its way from Bahrain to Dubai last Wednesday for the Dubai-Muscat Offshore Sailing Race, when it faced a problem with its propeller. It then drifted into Iranian waters and was captured by the Revolutionary Guard navy.

“After carrying out an investigation and interrogation of the five British sailors, it became clear that their illegal entry was a mistake,” the Revolutionary Guard said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency. “After obtaining necessary guarantees, it was decided to release them.”